Dynamic de-identification and anonymity

ABSTRACT

Various systems, computer-readable media, and computer-implemented methods of providing improved data privacy, anonymity and security by enabling subjects to which data pertains to remain “dynamically anonymous,” i.e., anonymous for as long as is desired—and to the extent that is desired—are disclosed herein. Embodiments include systems that create, access, use, store and/or erase data with increased privacy, anonymity and security, thereby facilitating the availability of more qualified and accurate information. When data is authorized by subjects to be shared with third parties, embodiments may facilitate sharing information in a dynamically controlled manner that enables delivery of temporally-, geographically-, and/or purpose-limited information to the receiving party. In one example, anonymity measurement scores may be calculated for the shared data elements so that a level of consent/involvement required by the Data Subject before sharing the relevant data elements to third parties may be specified.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/529,960 filed Oct. 31, 2014 entitled “DynamicDe-Identification and Anonymity.” This application further claims thebenefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/899,096 filed Nov. 1, 2013 entitled “Dynamic Identity Masking andManagement System and Methods”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/938,631 filed Feb. 11, 2014 entitled “Digital Rights Management ForIndividuals And For De-Identification Purposes”; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/941,242 filed Feb. 18, 2014 entitled “Data PrivacyAnd Security Systems, Methods And Devices”; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/944,565 filed Feb. 25, 2014 entitled “Privacy AndSecurity Systems, Methods And Devices”; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/945,821 filed Feb. 27, 2014 entitled “Photo SharingPrivacy Systems And Methods”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/948,575 filed Mar. 6, 2014 entitled “Object Oriented AnonymityPrivacy And Security Systems, Methods And Devices”; U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/969,194 filed Mar. 23, 2014 entitled “ObjectOriented Anonymity Data Privacy, Security And Accuracy Systems, MethodsAnd Devices”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/974,442 filedApr. 3, 2014 entitled “Dynamic Object Oriented Anonymity Data Privacy,Security And Accuracy Systems, Methods And Devices”; U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/988,373 filed May 5, 2014 entitled “ControlledDynamic Anonymity Data Privacy, Security And Accuracy Systems, MethodsAnd Devices”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/992,441 filedMay 13, 2014 entitled “Dynamic Deidentification And Anonymity Systems,Methods And Devices”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/994,076filed May 15, 2014 entitled “Anonos Consumer Privacy System”; U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/994,715 filed May 16, 2014entitled “Dynamic De-Identification And Anonymity Systems, Methods AndDevices”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/994,721 filed May16, 2014 entitled “Anonos Privacy Measurement Scoring Methods AndSystems”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/001,127 filed May21, 2014 entitled “Big Data/Data Subject Privacy System”; U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/015,431 filed Jun. 21, 2014entitled “Anonos Dynamic Anonymity/Circle of Trust System”; U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/019,987 filed Jul. 2, 2014entitled “Anonos Controlled Data Fusion and Anti-Discrimination System”;U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/037,703 filed Aug. 15, 2014entitled “Anonos Dynamic Anonymity Information Risk ManagementPlatform”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/043,238 filed Aug.28, 2014 entitled “Formulaic Expression of Anonos Risk Management DataPrivacy System”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/045,321filed Sep. 3, 2014 entitled “Formulaic Expression of DynamicDe-Identification and Anonymity”; U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/051,270 filed Sep. 16, 2014 entitled “Anonos Data-Privacyas-a-Service (DPaaS) System”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/055,669 filed Sep. 26, 2014 entitled “Data Privacy as-a-Service(DPaaS) supported by Anonos Dynamic Anonymity/Circle of Trust (CoT)System based on DDIDs”; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/059,882 filed Oct. 4, 2014 entitled “Privacy for the InterconnectedWorld—Systems and Methods”; the disclosures of which are allincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates generally to improving data security, privacy,and accuracy, and, in particular, to using dynamically changingidentifiers to render elements of data anonymous.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to provide a background or context to theinvention that is recited in the claims. The description herein mayinclude concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily onesthat have been previously conceived, implemented or described.Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in thissection is not prior art to the description and claims in thisapplication and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in thissection.

There are certain inherent conflicts between: (i) the goal of parties tomaximize the value of data and their goal of respecting privacy rightsof individuals; (ii) the goal of individuals' to protect their privacyrights and their goal of benefiting from highly personalized offerings;and (iii) the goal of U.S. and international government agencies tofacilitate research and commerce and their goal of safeguarding rightsof citizens.

One goal of non-healthcare-related parties is to reach the most “highlyqualified” prospects, i.e., prospective buyers who have the requisitefinancial resources, motivation, and authority to make a purchase.Commercial parties will pay much more to reach qualified prospects thanto reach undifferentiated prospects because the chances of consummatinga transaction with a qualified prospect is significantly higher, giventheir interest, predisposition, and means to close transactions. Thelevel of personalization/customization of offerings for prospectivecustomers—which is directly related to the likelihood of consummatingtransactions—is enhanced by the depth and scope of information availableabout each individual prospect. One goal of healthcare-related partiesis to conduct research pertaining to health and/or disease with the goalof advancing discoveries in applications that may improve human health.

The development, emergence and widespread adoption of computer networks,internets, intranets and supporting technologies has resulted in thewide-spread availability of cost-effective technology to collect,transmit, store, analyze and use information in electronic formats. As aresult, entities now have the ability to readily collect and analyzevast amounts of information. This has created tensions between: (a) theincreasing quantity of information available to qualify prospects,develop personalized/customized offerings for potential customers and/orconduct health-related or other research; and (b) decreasing security,anonymity and privacy for individuals who often are not aware of theexistence of many data elements that may be traced back to them, andover which they often have little or no effective control.

Data elements may be collected both online and offline (both “borndigital” and “born analog” and converted into digital format at a laterdate) through a variety of sources including, but not limited to,activity on social networking sites, electronic or digital records,emails, participation in rewards or bonus card programs that trackpurchases and locations, browsing or other activity on the Internet, andactivity and purchases at brick-and-mortar stores and/or on e-commercewebsites. Merchants, medical-related and other service providers,governments, and other entities use this tremendous amount of data thatis collected, stored, and analyzed to suggest or find patterns andcorrelations and to draw useful conclusions. This data is sometimesreferred to as “big data,” due to the extensive amount of informationentities may now gather. With big data analytics, entities may nowunlock and maximize the value of data—one example may involve non-healthrelated entities engaging in behavioral marketing (with materialscreated for distribution being customized in an attempt to increase thecorrelation with the preferences pertaining to a particular recipientparty) and another example may involve heath-related entities accessingbig data to conduct medical research. However, with behavioral marketingand big data analytics, related parties now have a much lower level ofprivacy and anonymity.

Attempts at reconciling the conflict between privacy/anonymity andvalue/personalization/research have often historically involved usingalternative identifiers rather than real names or identifyinginformation. However, these alternative identifiers are generallystatically assigned and persist over time. Static identifiers are moreeasily tracked, identified, and cross-referenced to ascertain trueidentities, and may be used to ascertain additional data about subjectsassociated with data elements without the consent of related parties.Privacy and information experts have expressed concerns thatre-identification techniques may be used with data associated withstatic identifiers and question whether data that is identifiable withspecific computers, devices or activities (i.e., through associatedstatic identifiers) can in practice be considered anonymous ormaintained in a protected state of anonymity. When an identifier doesnot change over time, adversarial entities have unlimited time toaccrete, analyze and associate additional or even exogenous data withthe persistent identifier, and thus to determine the true identity ofthe subject and associate other data with the true identity. Inaddition, unlimited time provides adversarial entities with theopportunity to perform time-consuming brute-force attacks that can beused against any encrypted data.

According to a 2011 McKinsey Global Institute report:

-   -   A retailer using big data to the full extent could increase its        operating margin by more than 60 percent;    -   Harnessing big data in the public sector has enormous        potential—if U.S. healthcare were to use big data creatively and        effectively to drive efficiency and quality, the sector could        create more than $300 billion in value every year—two-thirds of        that would be in the form of reducing US healthcare expenditure        by about 8 percent;    -   In the developed economies of Europe, government administrators        could save more than        100 billion ($149 billion) in operational efficiency        improvements from using big data, not including using big data        to reduce fraud and errors and boost the collection of tax        revenues; and    -   Users of services enabled by personal-location enabled big data        could capture $600 billion in consumer surplus.

Many potential benefits from big data have not been fully realized dueto ambiguity regarding ownership/usage rights of underlying data,tensions regarding privacy of underlying data, and consequences ofinaccurate analysis due to erroneous data collected from secondary(versus primary) sources and/or inferred from activities of partieswithout active participation of, or verification by, said parties.

What are needed are systems, methods and devices that overcome thelimitations of static and/or persistent privacy/anonymity and securitysystems and improve the accuracy of data for exchange, collection,transactions, analysis and other uses—especially in identity-sensitiveand/or context-sensitive applications. Put another way,privacy/anonymity-enhancing technologies, such as those describedherein, can help to reconcile the tensions between identifiable andfunctional information by providing tools that enable trust and controlin order to achieve the privacy/anonymity goals of both individuals andusers of such information.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention may improve data privacy andsecurity by enabling subjects to which data pertains to remain“dynamically anonymous,” i.e., anonymous for as long as is desired—andto the extent that is desired. Embodiments of the present invention mayinclude systems, methods and devices that create, access, use (e.g.,collecting, processing, copying, analyzing, combining, modifying ordisseminating, etc.), store and/or erase data with increased privacy,anonymity and security, thereby facilitating availability of morequalified and accurate information. And, when data is authorized to beshared with third parties, embodiments of the present invention mayfacilitate sharing information in a dynamically controlled manner thatenables delivery of temporally-, geographically-, and/or purpose-limitedinformation to the receiving party.

As compared to existing systems, wherein electronic data may be readilyaccessible for use (e.g., collecting, processing, copying, analyzing,combining, modifying or disseminating, etc.), storing and/or erasingwith few effective controls over the data, embodiments of the presentinvention may use temporally unique, dynamically changing de-identifiers(“DDIDs”)—each associated with a subject, e.g., a person, place, orthing, to which data directly or indirectly pertains or relates (a “DataSubject”), and/or an action, activity, process and/or trait pertainingto a Data Subject, for a temporally unique period of time, therebyenabling the Data Subject to operate in a “dynamically anonymous”manner. “Dynamically anonymous” or “Dynamic Anonymity” as used herein,refers to a user's ability to remain anonymous until such time as adecision is made not to remain anonymous, at which time only the desiredinformation is shared with one or more desired parties in connectionwith one or more actions, activities, processes or traits. Embodimentsof the present invention may thereby enable the ability of Data Subjectsto maintain flexible levels of privacy and/or anonymity under thecontrol of a Data Subject or controlling entity that may be a trustedparty or proxy.

Embodiments of the invention may use DDIDs to help prevent the retentionof data, sometimes referred to as metadata, that may otherwise providethird parties with information about one or more aspects of a DataSubject and/or data attributes reflecting actions, activities, processesand/or traits pertaining to a Data Subject, such as, by way of exampleand not limitation, information pertaining to means of creation,purpose, time and/or date of creation, identity of the Data Subjectand/or creator of the data attributes, location where data attributeswere created, standards used in creating or using data attributes, etc.This is due to the fact that metadata must have something to attachitself to—or to associate itself with—in order to establish an ongoingrecord of information associated with one or more specific dataattributes. The words “data,” “attributes,” “elements” or similar termsused in this application will include, any or all of the following, asapplicable, (i) structured data (i.e., data in predetermined structuredschemas), (ii) unstructured data, (iii) metadata (i.e., data aboutdata), (iv) other data, and/or (v) any of the foregoing types of datainitially recorded in analog format and later converted into digitalformat.

Embodiments of the present invention may use a first DDID at one timefor a specific purpose pertaining to a first Data Subject, action,activity, process and/or trait, and then use a second DDID inassociation with the first Data Subject, action, activity, processand/or trait, for a different purpose, and/or use the first DDID inassociation with a second Data Subject, action, activity, process and/ortrait, for a different purpose, etc. As a result, attempts to retain andaggregate data associated with underlying information associated withDDIDs may be ineffective since different DDIDs may be associated withthe same Data Subject, action, activity, process and/or trait, and/orthe same DDID may be used with different Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes and/or traits, and/or purposes—each for atemporally unique period of time.

Embodiments of the present invention may track and record differentDDIDs used by, and associated with, Data Subjects at different timeswith respect to various actions, activities, processes or traits therebyenabling the storage, selection and retrieval of information applicableto a specific action, activity, process or trait and/or a specific DataSubject. Conversely, the system may not enable third parties external tothe system to effectively retain and aggregate data due to the use ofmultiple DDIDs and the lack of information available external to thesystem to determine relationships between and among DDIDs and/or DataSubjects, actions, activities, processes and/or traits.

Each DDID may be associated with any one or more data attributes tofacilitate with respect to a specific action, activity, process ortrait, such as, by way of example and not limitation: (a) informationreflecting an action, activity, process or trait associated with a DataSubject while associated with a current DDID (e.g., browsing informationreflecting current web-based activity of a Data Subject while beingassociated with a current DDID) before the current DDID is replaced witha different DDID; (b) information with respect to past actions,activities, processes or traits previously associated with a DataSubject while associated with one or more previous DDIDs but withrespect to which the Data Subject now desires to share information witha third party while associated with the current DDID (e.g., sharingpricing information with an e-commerce website that the Data Subjectcollected from said website in a previous browsing session while beingassociated with a previous DDID); and (c) new information that may helpfacilitate with respect to a desired action, activity, process or traiton behalf of the Data Subject while associated with a current DDID(e.g., indicating new desired size and color for a currently desiredpurchase of clothing from an e-commerce website). For purposes hereof,the combination of a DDID and any data elements associated with the DDIDfor a temporally unique period of time are referred to as a temporaldata representation, or a “TDR.” For purposes hereof, if no data isassociated with a DDID, then a DDID and its temporal data representation(or “TDR”) are identical.

From the perspective of an implementation of an embodiment of DynamicAnonymity being a closed system, a DDID intended to represent theidentity of a Data Subject, i.e., a “primary identifier,” is required tobe temporally unique during the time period of the assignment of theDDID to the Data Subject—i.e., no two extant Data Subjects can haveidentical primary identifier DDIDs at the same time. The requirement fortemporal uniqueness of DDIDs is applicable when separateness of identityof Data Subjects is desired to be represented by DDIDs; if factors otherthan separateness of identity of Data Subjects are desired to berepresented by DDIDs, DDID assignments can be made accordingly torepresent intended associations, relationships, etc. DDIDs can beinstantiated in two ways: (i) within an implementation of the privacyserver or (ii) by externally created identifiers, but only provided thatthey satisfy the “temporally unique” requirement (e.g., a “cookie” orother unique identifier assigned by a website to a first-time visitorcould effectively serve as a DDID) when separateness of identity of DataSubjects is desired to be represented by DDIDs.

A cookie is a small piece of data that is generally sent from a websiteand stored in a Data Subject's web browser while the Data Subject isbrowsing the website, so that, every time the Data Subject returns tothe website, the browser sends the cookie back to a server associatedwith the website to notify the website the Data Subject has returned tothe website. However, in order for a cookie to serve as a DDID, thebrowser (serving as the client in this potential embodiment of theinvention) may prevent any cookie submitted by the website frompersisting between browsing sessions (e.g., by copying the user'scookies, cache and browsing history files to the anonymity system'sservers and then deleting them off the user's computer), such that a newcookie may be assigned for each browsing session. In this manner, thevarious cookies (in this example embodiment, serving as DDIDsrepresenting separateness of identity of Data Subjects) issued by thewebsite, while being created “externally” to the system, would each beunique and would not enable the website to remember stateful informationor aggregate the Data Subject's browsing activity, since each of thebrowsing sessions would be perceived by the website as unrelated—therebyenabling the Data Subject to remain dynamically anonymous as long asdesired, to the extent desired.

As mentioned in the example potential embodiment above, the DynamicAnonymity system, according to some embodiments, may collect and retaininformation related to the various actions, activities, processes ortraits associated with the different browsing sessions/different cookies(in this example, serving as DDIDs representing separateness of identityof Data Subjects) and store the combined information in an aggregateddata profile for the Data Subject until such time as a decision is madeby, or on behalf of, the Data Subject to no longer remain anonymous, atwhich point only desired information from the Data Subject's aggregateddata profile need be shared with one or more desired parties inconnection with one or more actions, activities, processes or traits. Inthis exemplary embodiment of the invention, this may involve the DataSubject deciding to provide information to a website from the DataSubject's aggregated data profile as a TDR that reflects past activityof the Data Subject on the website—all at the election and control ofthe Data Subject (or other controlling entity). In the above exemplaryembodiment of the invention, in lieu of using cookies assigned by awebsite visited by a Data Subject as DDIDs, the system may alternativelyuse globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) (i.e., unique reference numbersused as identifiers in computer software), or other temporally unique,dynamically changing proxy de-identifiers, as DDIDs whether createdinternally by, or externally to, implementations of the presentinvention. In the above examples, control over the collection of dataresulting from browsing activity by a Data Subject would reside with theData Subject or other controlling entity, rather than with the websitesvisited by the Data Subject. In still other exemplary embodiments of theinvention, rather than the Data Subject deciding when to send, i.e.,“push,” information to the website from the Data Subject's aggregateddata profile, a website (with proper permissions and authentication)could request, i.e., “pull” the relevant information and/or relevantDDID-to-Data Subject association information from the Data Subject'saggregated data profile at such time that the information is needed bythe website.

In still other exemplary embodiments of the invention, the work todynamically anonymize and control the sending of the relevant portionsof the Data Subject's aggregated data profile may be handled by: theData Subject's client device itself; the central Dynamic Anonymitysystem referred to above; or a combination of the two. For example, acomplete view of a particular Data Subject's information and/or relevantDDID-to-Data Subject association information for a predetermined orflexible amount of time could be stored at the Data Subject's clientdevice for the predetermined or flexible amount of time, before thenbeing synchronized back to a central Dynamic Anonymity system (as wellas synchronized with any other client devices that the Data Subject mayhave registered with the central anonymity system).

TDRs and DDIDs may comprise multiple levels of abstraction for trackingand identification purposes. A system according to some embodiments ofthe present invention may store the TDRs (consisting of DDID values anddata elements, if any, associated with the DDIDs), as well asinformation regarding the time period during which each DDID wasassociated with a particular Data Subject, data attribute(s), action,activity, process or trait—thereby allowing the TDRs to be re-associatedat a later time with the particular Data Subject, data attribute(s),action, activity, process or trait. Such a system may be utilized tofacilitate the development of aggregated data profiles by reference toand with the use of keys that reveal the relationship between and amongvarious DDIDs, Data Subjects, data attributes(s), actions, activities,processes and/or traits. In other words, “Dynamic Anonymity,” asafforded by the use of TDRs and/or DDIDs, as described herein, mayenable Data Subjects to benefit from ongoing technological advancements(e.g., the Internet of Things (IoT), personalized medicine, etc.)without having to relinquish privacy, anonymity, security or control.This may be accomplished by: (i) assigning unique dynamically changingDDIDs to Data Subjects, actions, activities, processes and/or traits;(ii) retaining information regarding association of DDIDs with DataSubjects, actions, activities, processes and/or traits; and (iii)providing Data Subjects and/or controlling entities, that may be trustedparties/proxies, with deterministic control over access to/use ofassociation information. With the use of dynamically changeable,temporally unique, and re-assignable DDIDs, current systems andprocesses (e.g., web browsers and data analytic engines) may not be ableto recognize relationships between and among disassociated and/orreplaced data elements. They may still process information usingexisting capabilities, but will do so without creating inferences,correlations, profiles or conclusions—except as expressly authorized byData Subjects and trusted parties/proxies. Moreover, the DDIDs employedby embodiments of the present invention can be replaced dynamically atthe data element-level enabling Dynamic Anonymity—not just at the DataSubject-level or data record-level. This means that individuals may havecontrol over what data is shared or accessed, enabling dynamicde-identification without “de-valuation” of the underlying information.

Control of information down to the data element-level makes controlledinformation sharing possible in the age of big data—beyond the reach ofcontrols targeted only at the data record-level or Data Subject-level.It further enables a “one and done relationship” between a Data Subjectand a website or other entity receiving information about the DataSubject. Most existing systems collect information around a uniqueidentifier over time. Even if a DDID carries with it a certain amount ofhistory or other information pertaining to a Data Subject, the next timethe Data Subject visits the site, store, doctor, etc. the Data Subjectcould look like a completely different Data Subject if desired. Onlywhen and if the DDID contained a unique identifier, a name or emailaddress for example, could a recipient correlate a then-current DDIDrepresenting the Data Subject with a DDID previously used to representthe Data Subject, at which point the recipient could interact with theData Subject based on the recipient's collection of data on the DataSubject. However, the next time the recipient encounters the DataSubject, the Data Subject would not be re-identifiable unless desired bythe Data Subject.

Dynamic Anonymity also enables controlled “data fusion” (wherein “datafusion” is defined as being what occurs when data from different sourcesare brought into contact with each other and new facts emerge) byproviding controlled anonymity for data, identity (of the Data Subjectand/or the controlling entity) and context (e.g., time, purpose, place)by obfuscating connections between and among the foregoing. DynamicAnonymity thus also enables the undoing or reversal of either rightsgranted or access to data (e.g., a particular party could be providedwith access to data underlying a DDID then have their access revoked viathe changing of Replacement Keys), as well as the rejuvenation of data(i.e., of the values of the data, not necessarily re-identification) ofdata to support additional authorized secondary uses without violatingpromises to Data Subjects (e.g., one or more DDIDs may initially provideaccess via one or more Replacement Keys to the results of an X-ray and,via the changing of Replacement Keys, later reflect the results of theX-ray as well as results of follow-on physical therapy).

The reason Dynamic Anonymity will still be attractive in the commercialmarketplace is that companies often do not actually care who the DataSubjects they interact with are (i.e., their actual, “real world”identities); they instead care what the Data Subjects are; how the DataSubjects behave; and when the Data Subjects behave that way. The moreaccurate their targeting is and the less wasteful, the more likely ananonymous consumer will respond favorably to a personalized offering.Dynamic Anonymity thus obviates the need for companies to follow DataSubjects around the digital world to try to persuade them to buyproducts and/or services that they may not really need or want. DynamicAnonymity allows for more profitable “matching” of sellers andinterested customers. Currently, the best that many companies can do isto “segment” potential customers by using demographics and statistics,but they may have no idea of the actual interest of individual segmentmembers. Dynamic Anonymity also improves upon generalized demographicsand statistics by providing individualized expressions/levels ofexpression of interest from members of segments who are “highlyqualified” prospects. The ability of Dynamic Anonymity to enable DataSubjects to directly or indirectly control use of their data inaccordance with their personal privacy/anonymity preferences can supportdisparate treatment of data in disparate jurisdictions notwithstandingdifferent data use/privacy/anonymity requirements in such jurisdictions(e.g., differences between European Union “fundamental right” and U.S.balancing of privacy rights/right to free expression/commerceperspectives on data privacy/anonymity protection).

In the context of healthcare, medical-related and other areas ofresearch, Dynamic Anonymity will be more attractive than traditionalapproaches to “de-identification” that protect data privacy/anonymity byusing a defensive approach—e.g., a series of masking steps are appliedto direct identifiers (e.g., name, address) and masking and/orstatistically-based manipulations are applied to quasi-identifiers(e.g., age, sex, profession) in order to reduce the likelihood ofre-identification by unauthorized third parties. This defensive approachto protecting data privacy/anonymity results in a tradeoff betweenprotecting against re-identification and retaining access to usableinformation. In comparison, with Dynamic Anonymity the value ofinformation can be retained and leveraged/exploited for authorizedpurposes, all with a statistically insignificant risk ofre-identification of any datum. DDIDs can be used to represent actions,activities, processes and/or traits between and among Data Subjects, themeaning of which may change over time thereby requiring the then-currentappropriate key(s) to discern underlying values. Dynamic Anonymitytherefore rejects the proposition and traditional dichotomy that, inorder to minimize the risk of/anonymity loss, one must sacrificeinformation content by making it forever unrecoverable. Instead, DynamicAnonymity minimizes both the risk of privacy/anonymity loss and theamount of information lost, enabling most—if not all—of it recoverable,but only with authorization.

Keys used by embodiments of the present invention may vary depending onthe use of corresponding DDIDs. For example: time keys (“TKs”) may beused to correlate the time period of association between a DDID and aData Subject, action, activity, process and/or trait—i.e., the timeperiod of existence of a TDR; association keys (“AKs”) may be used toreveal the association between two or more data elements and/or TDRsthat may not otherwise be discernibly associated one with another due tothe use of different DDIDs; replacement keys (“RKs”) may be used if/whenDDIDs are used in replacement of one or more data attributes within aTDR, in which case look-up tables may be referenced to determine thevalue of the one or more data attributes replaced by the said one ormore DDIDs included within the TDR.

Without access to the applicable TK(s), AK(s) and/or RK(s), in the eventthat a third party intercepts information pertaining to one or more DataSubjects, actions, activities, processes and/or traits, the third partywould not be able to: (i) re-identify a Data Subject by means ofassociating DDIDs and corresponding data attributes (which togethercomprise TDRs) in the case of the association function of the presentinvention; and/or (ii) knowing the value of data elements represented byDDIDs so as to correctly understand the information in the case of thereplacement function of the present invention. Conversely, embodimentsof the present invention may enable a Data Subject or other controllingentity to send to one or more desired third parties only those dataattributes (which the system knows relate to the Data Subject by virtueof the tracking/logging/recording functions of the system) thatspecifically pertain to a specific action, activity, process or trait.

Disclosed herein are various systems, methods and devices for privateand secure management and use of information pertaining to one or moreData Subjects, such as persons, places or things, and associatedactions, activities, processes and/or traits. The systems, methods anddevices described herein may abstract data pertaining to Data Subjects,actions, activities, processes and/or traits by linking elementspertaining to the data into independent attributes or dependentattributes, separating elements pertaining to the data into independentattributes or dependent attributes. For purposes of this disclosure, anattribute refers to any data element that can be used, independently orin combination with other data elements, to directly or indirectlyidentify a Data Subject, such as a person, place or thing, andassociated actions, activities, processes and/or traits. It should benoted that a Data Subject may have attributes or attribute combinationsthat are unique to the Data Subject: for example, an individual DataSubject's social security number, as well as attributes or attributecombinations that are shared by the Data Subject with other DataSubjects: for example, an individual Data Subject's sex or affiliationwith a political party. In some instances, an attribute may be anelectronic or digital representation of a Data Subject or associatedaction, activity, process and/or trait. Similarly, attributes may beelectronic or digital representations of information or data related toa Data Subject or associated action, activity, process and/or trait.Separating, linking, combining, rearranging, defining, initializing oraugmenting the attributes, can form attribute combinations pertaining toany particular Data Subject or group of Data Subjects, or associatedactions, activities, processes and/or traits. With respect to any DataSubject, action, activity, process and/or trait, the attributecombinations may include any combination of attributes, as well as otherdata that is added to or combined with the attributes. It should befurther noted that an attribute or combination of data attributes mayidentify a Data Subject but are not themselves the Data Subject—theperson or legal entity identified by an attribute or combination of dataattributes may be the subject of said attribute or combination of dataattributes and considered a related party with regard thereto sincehe/she/it has an interest in or association with said attribute orcombination of data attributes. In addition, parties (other than a DataSubject identified by an attribute or combination of data attributes)who have an interest in or association with an attribute or combinationof data attributes may also be considered related parties with regard tothe attribute or combination of data attributes.

In some embodiments, a client-server structure or architecture may beutilized to implement one or more features or aspects of thisdisclosure, whether on premises in or across an enterprise, in a privateor public cloud, in a private or public hybrid cloud, or in anycombination of the foregoing, whereby in one example, a privacy server,which may be virtual, logical or physical, provides functions and/orservices to one or more privacy clients, which themselves may bevirtual, logical or physical. These privacy clients that may reside on aData Subject device, on a service provider device, accessible via andreside in a cloud network, or reside on the same computing device as theprivacy server may initiate requests for such functions and/or servicesby interacting with data attributes and/or data attribute-to-DataSubject association information stored in a database on a hard drive orother memory element associated with the privacy server. For example, adata attribute may be linked to independent attributes or dependentattributes or separated into independent attributes or dependentattributes by means of a privacy server coupled to the database inresponse to requests for functions and/or services from one or moreprivacy clients. It should be noted that implementations of theinvention may use a single computer or computing device as both aprivacy server and a privacy client whereas other implementations mayuse one or more computers or computing devices located in one or morelocations as a privacy server and one or more computers or computingdevices located in one or more locations as a privacy client. Aplurality of system modules may be used to perform one or more of thefeatures, functions and processes described herein, such as but notlimited to: determining and modifying required attributes for attributecombinations; assigning DDIDs; tracking DDID use; expiring orre-assigning existing DDIDs; and enabling or providing data associationsrelevant to or necessary with respect to a given action, activity,process or trait.

In one embodiment, these modules may include an abstraction module ofthe privacy server configured to among other things: dynamicallyassociate at least one attribute with at least one Data Subject, action,activity, process and/or trait; determine and modify required attributesrelevant to or necessary for a given action, activity, process or trait;generate, store, and/or assign DDIDs to the at least one data attributeto form a TDR; and assign a predetermined expiration to a TDR by meansof the DDID component of the TDR.

These system modules, and if desired other modules disclosed herein, maybe implemented in program code executed by a processor in the privacyserver computer, or in another computer in communication with theprivacy server computer. The program code may be stored on a computerreadable medium, accessible by the processor. The computer readablemedium may be volatile or non-volatile, and may be removable ornon-removable. The computer readable medium may be, but is not limitedto, RAM, ROM, solid state memory technology, Erasable Programmable ROM(“EPROM”), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (“EEPROM”), CD-ROM,DVD, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or othermagnetic or optical storage devices. In certain embodiments, privacyclients may reside in or be implemented using “smart” devices (e.g.,wearable, movable or immovable electronic devices, generally connectedto other devices or networks via different protocols such as Bluetooth,NFC, WiFi, 3G, etc., that can operate to some extent interactively andautonomously), smartphones, tablets, notebooks and desktop computers,and privacy clients may communicate with one or more privacy serversthat process and respond to requests for information from the privacyclients, such as requests regarding data attributes, attributecombinations and/or data attribute-to-Data Subject associations.

In one implementation of the present invention, DDIDs associated withattributes and attribute combinations may be limited in scope andduration. Further, DDIDs may be re-assignable, such that a DDID mayrefer to multiple Data Subjects or multiple actions, activities,processes or traits at different points in time. The DDIDs may bere-assignable on a configurable basis in order to further abstract anddilute or attenuate data trails while maintaining the timeliness andsaliency of the TDRs and data contained therein.

In one example, rather than storing, transmitting or processing all dataattributes pertaining to a Data Subject and/or relevant to or necessaryfor a given action, activity, process, or trait, embodiments of thepresent invention may introduce an initial layer of abstraction by meansof an association function, e.g., by including only a portion of therelevant data attributes in each TDR. In this way, the data attributespertaining to a Data Subject may be disassociated within seeminglyunrelated TDRs, such that access to and use of one or more AKs arenecessary in order to know which two or more TDRs must be associatedwith each other in order to collectively contain all the data attributespertaining to a Data Subject and/or that are relevant to or necessaryfor a given action, activity, process or trait. The privacy, anonymityand security of data attributes contained or referenced within a TDR maybe further improved or enhanced by means of a replacement function,e.g., by replacing one or more of said data attributes contained in oneor more TDRs with DDIDs so that access to and use of one or more RKs arenecessary to enable use of look-up tables to determine the value of theone or more data elements replaced by said one or more DDIDs. Theprivacy, anonymity and security of data attributes contained orreferenced within a TDR may be further improved or enhanced by usingother known protection techniques, such as encrypting, tokenizing,pseudonymizing, eliding and/or otherwise; and/or by introducingadditional layers of abstraction by replacing keys with second-level orn-level DDIDs.

In the case of both: disassociation of data attributes pertaining to aData Subject, action, activity, process and/or trait, so as to requireAKs; and replacement of data attributes pertaining to a Data Subject,action, activity, process and/or trait, so as to require RKs, theeffective level of privacy, anonymity and security may be enhanced basedon how, and how often, the DDIDs associated with the data attribute orattributes in question are changed and/or are changeable. In oneexemplary embodiment of the invention, DDIDs may be assigned forpurposes of disassociation and/or replacement and retain their initiallyassigned value(s)—i.e., permanent assignments. In another exemplaryembodiment of the invention, DDIDs may be assigned for purposes ofdisassociation and/or replacement and retain their initially assignedvalue(s) until the value(s) are changed on an ad hoc basis, i.e., “adhoc changeability.” In yet another exemplary embodiment of theinvention, DDIDs may be assigned for purposes of disassociation and/orreplacement and retain their initially assigned value(s) until thevalue(s) are changed based on a random, fixed, variable or other dynamicbasis, i.e., “dynamic changeability.”

Embodiments of the present invention may create additional layers ofabstraction by replacing identifying references within the system toexternal networks, internets, intranets, and/or computing devices thatmay be integrated, or communicate, with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention with DDIDs so that one or more RKs and/or AKs arenecessary to enable access to and use of look-up tables to determine theidentity of the one or more external networks, internets, intranets,and/or computing devices replaced by said one or more DDIDs.

Due to the changeable, temporally unique, and re-assignablecharacteristics of DDIDs paired with data attributes or attributecombinations to create TDRs, recipients of TDRs may make use ofinformation contained in TDRs specifically for intended purposes atintended times. This is due to the fact that Association Keys (which maybe required to stitch TDRs together to make sense of informationcontained in seemingly unrelated TDRs) and/or Replacement Keys (whichmay be required to know the value of information represented bytemporally unique DDIDs sent to third parties as part of TDRs) may onlyhave temporally limited usefulness. In other words, the usefulness istemporally limited because the DDID components of TDRs may be changed bya Data Subject or other controlling party when the intended purposeand/or intended time is no longer applicable in such a manner that AKsand/or RKs no longer reveal relevant information. Conversely, relevantinformation revealed by means of AKs and/or RKs may change over time tosupport additional secondary uses of data.

In one example, a maintenance module may be utilized to storeinformation regarding the association at any particular point in time ofa particular DDID with a particular attribute combination in a TDR in asecure database associated with the privacy server and accessible by thesystem but not accessible by parties other than the controlling entityor by parties authorized by the controlling entity (this time period ofassociation may be represented by a time key (TK) or otherwise). In oneexample, the maintenance module of the privacy server and associateddatabase(s) may store and keep all associations of DDIDs with attributecombinations. Thus, the system provides for secure data exchange andnon-repudiation of data attributes, attribute combinations and TDRs inorder to foster safer data-related collection, use, research and/oranalysis while meeting stringent privacy, anonymity and securitycriteria.

In one example, a verification module of the privacy server andassociated database(s) may provide an authenticated data structure thatpermits validation and verification of the integrity of informationand/or DDIDs embodied in an aggregated data profile, data attributes,attribute combinations and/or TDRs at any point in time throughmethodologies such as cyclic redundancy checks (“CRCs”), messageauthentication codes, digital watermarking, linking-based time-stampingor analogous methodologies.

In another example, an authentication module of an embodiment of thepresent invention may be used to verify, on an anonymous basis, theauthority to proceed with respect to a Data Subject, action, activity,process or trait at a particular time and/or place via the TDRassignment. A privacy client with TDR information may request of theauthentication module, which in one example is part of the privacyserver, confirmation as to whether the TDR (and undisclosed DataSubject, data attributes or attribute combinations associated therewith)is authorized to participate with regard to a requested action,activity, process or trait at a particular time and/or place. In oneembodiment, the authentication module may compare the DDID included inthe TDR to a list of authorized DDIDs to determine the state ofauthorization to participate with respect to a desired action, activity,process or trait at the specified time and/or place. Optionally, theauthentication module may request the party possessing the TDR toconfirm it is authorized to participate with respect to a desiredaction, activity, process or trait at the specified time and/or placethrough DDID confirmation or other confirmation techniques such aspassword confirmation or multi-factor authentication. If an optionalauthorization request is made, the process continues only if the partyis authorized, in one example. The authentication module may transmitthe authorization status information to the party controlling the TDRvia a privacy client, and the authorization status may be used to allowor deny proceeding with respect to a desired action, activity, processor trait at the specified time and/or place.

TDRs and/or DDIDs contained in TDRs can also be used as advanced keysfor known protection techniques such as encrypting, tokenizing,pseudonymizing, eliding or otherwise. The authentication module may beused to withhold the key necessary to unlock protection techniques forthe contents of the TDR such as encrypting, tokenizing, pseudonymizing,eliding or otherwise, unless the TDR, DDID, undisclosed associated DataSubject, attribute, attribute combination or related party is confirmedas being authorized to participate with respect to a desired action,activity, process or trait at the specified time and/or place throughDDID and/or TDR confirmation and known confirmation techniques such aspassword confirmation, multi-factor authentication or similar means.

In another example, an access log module may be provided, wherein theaccess log module can collect and store information to enablepost-incident forensic analysis in the event of a system or privacyserver error and/or misuse.

In accordance with one aspect of one embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method ofproviding controlled distribution of electronic information. In oneexample, the method may include the steps or operations of receiving, ata computing device, data; identifying one or more attributes of thedata; selecting, through the computing device, a DDID; associating theselected DDID with one or more of the data attributes; and creating atemporally unique data representation (TDR) from at least the selectedDDID and the one or more data attributes.

In one example, the step of selecting a DDID may include generating thetemporally unique, dynamically changing DDID or, in another example,accepting or modifying a temporally unique, dynamically changing valuecreated external to the system to serve as the DDID.

For purposes hereof, the phrase “dynamically changing” means that a DDIDassigned with respect to a data subject, action, activity, process ortrait: (a) changes over time due to (i) passage of a predeterminedamount of time, (ii) passage of a flexible amount of time, (iii)expiration of the purpose for which the DDID was created, or (iv) changein virtual or real-world location associated with the data subject,action, activity, process or trait; or (b) is different at differenttimes (i.e., the same DDID is not used at different times) with respectto a same or similar data subject, action, activity, process or trait.

For purposes hereof, the phrase “temporally unique” means that the timeof initial assignment of a DDID to a data subject, action, activity,process or trait is known, but the time period of assignment may belimited or perpetual in duration. The initial assignment of a DDID to adata subject, action, activity, process or trait starts at a point intime, and information concerning the time of assignment is known and, incertain implementations of the present invention, may be used toidentify relationships or connections between the DDID and said datasubject, action, activity, process or trait. If the period of assignmentof a DDID to a data subject, action, activity, process or trait ends ata discrete point in time, information concerning the time of terminationof assignment is known and, in certain implementations of the presentinvention, may be used to identify relationships or connections betweenthe DDID and said data subject, action, activity, process or trait.

In another example, the method may also include causing the associationbetween the selected DDID and the one or more data attributes to expire.In yet another example, the method may include storing, in a databaseaccessible to the computing device, information regarding the timeperiods during which the selected DDID was associated with differentdata attributes or combinations of attributes by means of time keys(TKs) or otherwise.

In another embodiment, the method may also include re-associating theselected DDID with one or more other data attributes or attributecombinations following expiration of the association between the DDIDand one or more initial data attributes.

In one example, the expiration of the DDID occurs at a predeterminedtime, or the expiration may occur following completion of apredetermined event, purpose or activity. In another example, the DDIDmay be authorized for use only during a given time period and/or at apredetermined location.

In another example, the method may include changing the DDID associatedwith the one or more data attribute, attribute combination and/or TDR,wherein the changing the DDID may occur on a random or a scheduledbasis, or may occur following the completion of a predetermined activitypurpose and/or event.

According to another aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a method for facilitating transactionsover a network, wherein the method may include the operations ofreceiving a request, at a privacy server, from a client device toconduct activity over a network; determining which of a plurality ofdata attributes or attribute combinations in a database is necessary tocomplete the requested activity; creating or accepting a DDID;associating the DDID with the determined data attributes to create acombined temporally unique data representation (TDR); making thecombined temporally unique data representation (TDR) accessible to atleast one network device for conducting or initiating the requestingactivity; receiving a modified temporally unique data representation(TDR) that includes additional information related to the activityperformed; and storing the modified temporally unique datarepresentation (TDR) and/or DDID-to-Data Subject association informationin a memory database.

In one example, the at least one network device may include an internetservice provider, a server operated by a merchant or service provider, aserver operated by a mobile platform provider, or a server in a cloudcomputing environment.

According to another aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a method of providing controlleddistribution of electronic information. In one example, the method mayinclude receiving a request at a privacy server to conduct an activityover a network; selecting attributes of data located in a databaseaccessible to the privacy server determined to be necessary to fulfillthe request, wherein other attributes of the data which are notdetermined to be necessary are not selected; assigning or accepting theassignment of a DDID to the selected attributes, and/or attributecombinations to which they apply with an abstraction module of theprivacy server, wherein the DDID does not reveal the unselectedattributes; recording the time at which the DDID is assigned; receivingan indication that the requested activity is complete; receiving theDDID and the determined attributes and/or attribute combinations towhich they apply at the privacy server, wherein the attributes aremodified to include information regarding the conducted activity; andrecording the time at which the conducted activity is complete and theDDID and the determined attributes and/or attribute combinations towhich they apply are received at the privacy server.

In one example, the method may also include assigning an additional DDIDto one or more of the selected data attributes and/or attributecombinations contained within a TDR. In another example, the method mayinclude re-associating, using time keys (TKs) reflecting recorded times,the DDID and data attributes with the true identity of the dataattributes, attribute combinations, or Data Subjects. The method mayalso include reassigning the DDID to other data attributes, andrecording the time at which the DDID is reassigned.

According to another aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method ofimproving data security, wherein the data comprises at least oneattribute. In one example, the method may include associating at leastone attribute with a DDID to create a temporally unique datarepresentation (TDR); wherein the temporally unique data representation(TDR) limits access to data attributes to only those necessary toperform a given action, such as for example completing a purchase ofgoods from an online website.

In one example, the method may include assigning an association key (AK)to the temporally unique data representation (TDR), wherein access tothe association key (AK) is required for authorized access to thetemporally unique data representation (TDR).

In another example, the method may also include causing the associationbetween the DDID and the at least one attribute to expire, wherein theexpiration occurs at a predetermined time and/or the expiration mayoccur following completion of a predetermined event and/or activity. Inanother embodiment, the method may include re-associating the DDID withthe at least one different attribute following an expiration of theassociation between the DDID and the at least one attribute. The methodmay also include storing, in a database, information regarding one ormore time periods during which the DDID was associated with differentdata attributes or combinations of attributes as reflected by applicabletime keys (TKs) or otherwise.

According to another aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a system for improving electronic datasecurity. In one example, the system may include a module configured todynamically associate at least one attribute with at least one DataSubject, action, activity, process and/or trait; a module configured togenerate or accept DDIDs, and further configured to associate DDIDs tothe at least one data attribute; a module configured to track activityrelated to the DDIDs, and configured to associate any additionalelectronic data generated by the activity to the DDID; and a module forstoring the DDIDs, tracked activity, and time periods during which aDDID is used for conducting the tracked activity.

According to another aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a device for conducting secure, privateactivity over a network. In one example, the device may include aprocessor configured to execute program modules, wherein the programmodules include at least a privacy client; a memory connected to theprocessor; and a communication interface for receiving data over anetwork; wherein the privacy client is configured to receive temporallyunique data representations (TDRs) including DDIDs and associated dataattributes necessary for conducting the activity over the network from aprivacy server.

In one example, the privacy client may be further configured to captureactivity conducted using the device, and to relate the conductedactivity to the temporally unique data representations (TDRs). Inanother example, the privacy client may be configured to transmit thecaptured activity and temporally unique data representations (TDRs) tothe privacy server. The privacy client may reside on a mobile device asa mobile application, in one example. The privacy client may reside in,and be accessible via, a network as a cloud based application, inanother example. The privacy client may reside on the same computingdevice(s) on which the privacy server(s) resides as a local application,in another example.

In another example, the device may also include a geolocation module ona mobile device, wherein the temporally unique data representations(TDRs) are modified with information from the geolocation module, andwherein the temporally unique data representations (TDRs) restrictaccess to information regarding the identity of the device. The devicemay also include a user interface configured to allow a user to modifythe temporally unique data representations (TDRs), including options tochange the DDID or data attributes associated with a particulartemporally unique data representation (TDR). The user interface mayinclude selectable options for sharing the temporally unique datarepresentations (TDR) only with other network devices within apredetermined physical, virtual or logical proximity to the mobiledevice.

In another example, the device may, in response to the shared temporallyunique representations (TDRs), receive targeted advertising or marketinginformation based on the physical, virtual, or logical location of themobile device, wherein the shared temporally unique data representations(TDRs) may in one example include demographic information, temporalinformation, geolocation information, psychographic information and/orother forms of information related to a user of the mobile device. Inanother example, the shared temporally unique data representations(TDRs) may include information related to purchase transactions made ordesired to be made using the mobile device, and further comprisingreceiving targeted advertising or marketing information based onprevious or desired purchase transactions. In this way, a vendor maynearly instantly know the relevant characteristics of nearby users andpotential customers—without knowing or learning the identity of suchusers—so that the vendor may tailor product and service offeringsspecifically to the interests of nearby users and potential customers inreal-time without compromising the privacy/anonymity of theusers/potential customers.

According to another aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a system for providing electronic dataprivacy and anonymity. In one example, the system may include at leastone user device having a first privacy client operating on the userdevice; at least one service provider device having a second privacyclient operating on the service provider device; and at least oneprivacy server coupled to the network, the privacy server communicatingwith the first and second privacy clients; wherein the privacy serverincludes an abstraction module that electronically links data attributesand attribute combinations and separates data attributes and attributecombinations, and the abstraction module associates a DDID with the dataattributes and/or attribute combinations.

In one example, the privacy server may include an authentication modulethat generates and/or accepts one or more of said DDIDs. In anotherexample, the privacy server may include a maintenance module that storesa combination of the DDIDs with their associated data attributes and/orattribute combinations. In another example, the privacy server mayinclude a verification module that verifies the integrity of dataattributes, attribute combinations, and DDIDs.

In another example, the privacy server may include an access log modulethat collects and stores information relating to the DDIDs and the dataattributes for use in one or more post-incident forensic analyses in theevent of one or more errors.

In one example, the DDID expires after a predetermined time, and afterexpiration of the DDID, the abstraction module assigns the DDID toanother data attribute and/or to another Data Subject.

Other embodiments of the disclosure are described herein. The features,utilities and advantages of various embodiments of this disclosure willbe apparent from the following more particular description ofembodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a block diagram of a system including aprivacy server, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a block diagram of a system includinga privacy server, in which the invention is offered as a service tointeract with external databases in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates different ways that assignment, application,expiration and recycling of DDIDs may occur with respect to dataattributes and/or attribute combinations, in accordance with differingembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1C-1 illustrates potential input and output flows for a systemincluding a privacy server from the perspective of a Trusted Party, inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1C-2 illustrates potential input and output flows for a systemincluding a privacy server from the perspective of a Data Subject, inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1D illustrates an example of the use of DDIDs in connection with anetworked blood pressure monitor, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 1E illustrates an example of the use of DDIDs in connection withserving patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1F illustrates an example of the use of DDIDs in connection withoffering a coupon, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1G illustrates an example of the use of DDIDs in connection with aphysician viewing blood pressure levels, in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1H illustrates an example using DDIDs to effect dynamic dataobfuscation in connection education related information, in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1I shows an example of a process to perform Disassociation LevelDetermination (DLD) and create an Anonymity Measurement Score (AMS), inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1J illustrates exemplary calculated Anonymity Measurement Scores,in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1K illustrates exemplary categories for the level ofconsent/involvement required by the Data Subject for certain calculatedAnonymity Measurement Scores, in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1L illustrates an example of the use of DDIDs in the area ofemergency response, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate an example of the generation and use of a TDR, inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates two example attribute combinations having differentlevels of abstraction by means of the association function and thereplacement function of the system, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a process (from a sample controlling entityand system perspective) to select attribute combinations, generate TDRsto abstract or anonymize the data, and then re-associate or de-anonymizethe data, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6A shows an example of a process (from a sample controlling entityand system perspective) to receive attributes from one or more externaldatabase, generate TDRs to abstract or anonymize the data, and thenre-associate or de-anonymize the data, in accordance with one embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 6B shows an example of a process (from a sample controlling entityand system perspective) to provide dynamic anonymity for data elementscontained in one or more databases considered too sensitive to berevealed in an identifiable manner external to an organization.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a process (from a recipient entityperspective) of the process of FIG. 6, in accordance with one embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a process for verifying authority, inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a process for withholding keyprotection information unless verified, in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a process for analyzing interests ofrelated parties in an anonymous fashion, in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11-18 illustrate various examples of the interactions between arelated party, service provider, and privacy server, including DDIDs andattribute combinations generated, sent, and tracked, in accordance withone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 shows examples of attribute combinations accessible to multipleservice providers as well as the attribute combinations re-transmittedby each service provider back to a privacy server, in accordance withone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 20 shows the data accessible to a related party that includes allattribute combinations sent to and retransmitted from service providers,in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate how a service provider acting as thecontrolling entity and providing information to various vendors, mayprovide to each vendor only those attribute combinations necessary toperform services assigned to it, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 23 illustrates an example of an implementation of DDIDs in the areaof Internet advertising, in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 24-25 illustrate examples of an implementation of DDIDs in thearea of healthcare, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates an example of an implementation of DDIDs in the areaof mobile communications, in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 27 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a programmabledevice for implementing techniques for dynamically creating, assigning,changing, reassigning, and using dynamically changeable, temporallyunique identifiers (DDIDs) in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram illustrating a network of privacyclients and a privacy server for implementing techniques for dynamicallycreating, assigning, changing, reassigning, and using DDIDs inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein are various systems, methods and devices for privateand secure management and use of information pertaining to one or moreData Subjects, such as persons, places or things, and/or associatedactions, activities, processes and/or traits. The systems, methods anddevices described herein abstract data attributes pertaining to DataSubjects and/or associated actions, activities, processes and/or traitsby linking data pertaining to Data Subjects and/or associated actions,activities, processes and/or traits to independent attributes and/ordependent attributes and separating elements pertaining to Data Subjectsand/or associated actions, activities, processes and/or traits intoindependent attributes and/or dependent attributes. DDIDs can then beassociated with select data attributes or select attribute combinations,thus creating TDRs. In this manner, embodiments of the present inventioncan be utilized to provide data security, privacy, anonymity, andaccuracy for Data Subjects such as persons, places or things and/orassociated actions, activities, processes and/or traits. Variousembodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein.

Dynamic Anonymity/Circles of Trust (CoT)

Dynamic Anonymity is premised on the principle that static anonymity isan illusion, and that the use of static identifiers is fundamentallyflawed. The Dynamic Anonymity system dynamically segments and appliesre-assignable dynamic de-identifiers (DDIDs) to data stream elements atvarious stages (Note: while dynamic segmentation may include time lapse,it is more likely determined by activity, location and/or subjectmatter) thereby minimizing the risk of information being unintentionallyshared in transit, in use or at rest, while maintaining the ability ofTrusted Parties—and of no others—to re-stitch the data stream elements.

Cleartext primary keys may be used internally within a Circle of Trust(“CoT”) such as shown in FIG. 1C-1 to identify Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes and/or traits; however, these keys may not beshared outside the Circle of Trust. Rather, Dynamic Anonymity usesdynamically changing and re-assignable compound keys outside of a Circleof Trust which may be comprised of: (i) a DDID; and (ii) the timeperiod/purpose for which the DDID is associated with a Data Subject,action, activity, process and/or trait). Information regarding thisassociation may not be made available outside of the Circle of Trust(and it may not be reconstructible if the DDID representing a connectionwith one or more Data Subject, action, activity, process and/or traitcontains no recoverable information leading back to said one or moreData Subject, action, activity, process or trait—in each such case, theconnections would be severed and are not inherently computable).

Dynamic Anonymity enhances privacy, anonymity and personal dataprotection capabilities in distributed platforms/fragmented ecosystems,while providing superior access to, and use of, data in accordance withpolicies established by, or on behalf of, Data Subjects. In this manner,everyone—including those who elect to use either closed or distributedsystems—benefits from enhanced data privacy and anonymity.

Dynamic Anonymity delivers certain immediate benefits withoutmodification to existing business and technology practices. With the useof dynamically changing and temporally unique DDIDs, current systems andprocesses (e.g., web browsers and data analytic engines) may notrecognize relationships between and among data elements. These systemsand processes can process information using existing capabilitieswithout creating inferences, correlations, profiles or conclusionsexcept as expressly authorized by Data Subjects and trustedparties/proxies via a Circle of Trust (CoT). However, additionalsignificant benefits would arise from new business and technologypractices that leverage specific attributes and capabilities of DDIDs,Dynamic Anonymity and/or a Circle of Trust (CoT).

Dynamic Anonymity provides benefits at four distinct points of dataprocessing:

A. Data Capture;

B. Data Transmission/Storage;

C. Data Analysis; and

D. Data Privacy/Anonymity Control.

At each point data is protected in accordance with PERMS specified by,or on behalf of, Data Subject(s) to whom that data pertains.

A. Data Capture

In applications where a static identifier would typically be associatedwith capture of data pertaining to a Data Subject, Dynamic Anonymity canprovide:

1. A dynamic de-identifier (or DDID) that changes over time (triggeredby a lapse of time, change in purpose, temporary cessation in activity,or change in virtual or physical location) limiting the ability totrack, profile or otherwise associate data with a Data Subject, action,activity, process and/or trait.

2. An association from each DDID to the applicable one or more DataSubject, action, activity, process and/or trait, stored and known onlywithin the applicable Circle of Trust (CoT).

3. Dynamic Anonymity also offers the optional ability to store dataassociated with DDIDs within a CoT.

A key feature of Dynamic Anonymity is the ability to anonymize andsegregate data elements at the data element level rather than at thedata record level—i.e., at the level of individual data elementsassociated with a Data Subject, action, activity, process and/or traitrather than data elements representing the entirety or majority ofinformation pertaining to a Data Subject, action, activity, processand/or trait. Circles of Trust retain relationship information betweenand among data elements and Data Subjects, actions, activities,processes and/or traits to permit re-association according toprivacy/anonymity policies and/or rules established by, and/or on behalfof, Data Subjects (referred to sometimes herein as PERMS).

Example Search Engine

Consider a person who frequently uses a particular search engine.Currently, the search engine assigns the person (via their browser) a“cookie” or other digital footprint tracker that persists for months oryears, against which an ever-increasing stream of observational data(e.g. search terms, links clicked, location data) is then accumulatedand, very likely, analyzed and further aggregated by multipleparties—often revealing personally identifiable information withoutknowing consent by the Data Subject.

Dynamic Anonymity can leverage the natural response of a search engineto create a new cookie/digital footprint tracker for each Data Subjectperceived to be interacting with the search engine for the first time.Clearing history, cache, cookie/digital footprint tracker, andassociated data will cause the search engine to generate a newcookie/digital footprint tracker for the Data Subject. A Circle of Trust(CoT) can store information pertaining to associations ofcookies/digital footprint trackers to the Data Subject, and optionallyalso store a list of queries and selected links.

With this approach, the search engine would still have access toaggregate data—trending search terms, popular websites, ad clicks,etc.—but would be prevented from drawing inferences related to the DataSubject based on observational data. If/as authorized byprivacy/anonymity policies and/or rules established by, and/or on behalfof, the Data Subject, the CoT could enable the search engine to performmore detailed analysis. This could be implemented using an HTTP proxy orbrowser extension, requiring no modification to (or cooperation from) anexisting search engine.

In the past, anonymous tracking cookies were supposed to have solved theproblem of how to support both privacy and analytics. However, anonymoustracking cookies failed to achieve this goal because all the data washoused together and associated with random static identifiers that madeit too easy to generate information that is linked or linkable to a DataSubject (“Personal Data” or “PD”), thereby nullifying or attenuating thevalue of the static “anonymous” identifiers. Dynamic Anonymity overcomesthese shortcomings by employing dynamically changing and re-assignableDDIDs, storing the resulting DDID associations and obscuring keys withinCircles of Trust, and providing a unique interaction model enablingparticipation between and among Data Subjects and TrustedParties/third-party participants.

B. Data Transmission/Storage

A CoT is composed of one or more Trusted Parties, each of which mayoffer one or more independent data storage facilities, as well as securemeans to segment and transmit sensitive data to these data stores.

Alternatively, Dynamic Anonymity-compliant application developers couldchoose to only store the Data Subject-to-DDID associations within theCoT, and instead to use Dynamic Anonymity-defined procedures to obscure,encrypt, and/or segment data (or utilize Dynamic Anonymity-enabledtoolkits for such procedures); allowing applications to safely storegenerated or collected information in their own facilities, without lossof context or business value.

In the past, analogous techniques to those employed by the presentinvention have been employed to:

-   -   Segment data;    -   Encrypt and obfuscate data during transmission; and    -   Employ distribution, obfuscation and security during storage.        However, Dynamic Anonymity improves upon these prior approaches        by:    -   Employing dynamically changing and re-assignable DDIDs to        obscure data at the data element (versus data record) level;    -   Storing resulting DDID associations/obscuring keys within a        Circles of Trust; and    -   Providing a unique interaction model for enabling participation        between and among Data Subjects and Trusted Parties/third-party        participants.

C. Data Analysis

Traditional techniques for data “cleansing” (also referred to as datacleaning and data scrubbing) paradoxically suffer from two different andantithetical kinds of problems.

1. A given data cleansing technique can simply be ineffective. Despiteearnest efforts, or even use of legally sanctioned techniques to obscurePersonal Data, it may be still possible to identify the Data Subjectsand Personal Data from “cleansed” data. Three famous examples:

a. In the mid-1990s, the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC)released data on individual hospital visits by state employees in orderto aid important research. Latanya Sweeney, then an MIT graduatestudent, purchased the Cambridge voter-registration records, and bylinking the two data sets, which individually were completely innocuous,she was able to re-identify then-Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld's GICentry despite the fact that it had been “anonymized,” with all obviousidentifiers, such as name, address, and Social Security number, removed.

b. In 2006, Arvind Narayanan, then a graduate student at UT-Austin,together with his advisor, showed that by linking the “anonymized”Netflix dataset to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), in which viewersreview movies, often under their own names, many Netflix users could bere-identified.

c. In 2013, a team led by Dr. Yaniv Erlich, of the Whitehead Institutefor Biomedical Research, re-identified men who had participated in the1000 Genomes Project—an international consortium to place, in an openonline database, the sequenced genomes of (as it turns out, 2500)“unidentified” people—who had also participated in a study of Mormonfamilies in Utah.

2. More effective data cleansing techniques may reduce the businessvalue of that data—that is, many obfuscation techniques are lossy.

The Dynamic Anonymity approach to data privacy/anonymity provides a wayto avoid both pitfalls, simultaneously.

D. Data Privacy/Anonymity Control

In order to protect Personal Data, Dynamic Anonymity may employ amultiple means of measuring, specifying, and enforcing dataprivacy/anonymity:

-   -   1. A system for determining a privacy/anonymity level for each        potential kind of exposure for data associated with a Data        Subject, action, activity, process and/or trait. These        privacy/anonymity levels may consist of a continuum of discrete        values (between the extremes of complete privacy/anonymity and        complete public exposure), and/or a mathematical specification        of such (an “Anonymity Measure Score” or “AMS”).    -   2. PERMS that specify actions allowed or limited by policies        regarding data. (For example: “share,” “update.”)    -   3. PERMS that associate access levels, permissions and data with        each other, thus granting or denying certain levels of access to        data on the basis of one or more criteria, including data type,        time, organization seeking access, etc.

A Data Subject's PERMS may also be combined with, or limited by,statutory policies. (For example, medical data in the US must beprotected in accordance with the US Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA.)

Additionally, if allowed by the Trusted Party and with the data owner'sconsent, offers to modify or grant specific and limited permissions maybe presented to, and accepted by, Data Subjects.

Dynamic Anonymity may also improve upon existing frameworks by usingprivacy/anonymity level determinations to prevent inappropriate use ofdata, which is obscured and only analyzed, whether from inside oroutside a Circle of Trust, in a manner consistent with each DataSubject's specified privacy/anonymity levels.

Dynamic De-Identifiers (DDIDs)

A dynamic de-identifier DDID is a temporally-bounded pseudonym whichboth refers to and obscures the value of (i) a primary key referencing aData Subject, action, activity, process and/or trait, (ii) the value ofan attribute of that Data Subject, action, activity, process and/ortrait (e.g. a ZIP code), and/or (iii) the kind or type of data beingassociated with the Data Subject, action, activity, process and/or trait(e.g. the fact that some encoded value was a ZIP code).

DDIDs may additionally protect data if there is no discernable,inherent, nor computable relationship between their content and thevalues (cleartext) to which they refer. Additionally, the associationbetween any given DDID and its cleartext value may not be exposedoutside the Circle of Trust (CoT). Unlike static identifiers, anobscured value or key need not have the same associated DDID when usedin a different context, for a different purpose, or at a different time.

DDIDs can be either generated within the Circle of Trust, or if theabove criteria are satisfied, external IDs can be used as DDIDs.

DDIDs are Time-Bounded

As mentioned, DDID associations are temporally-bounded, by which we meanthat, even within the same context, and with regard to a single type ofdata (e.g. ZIP code), a particular DDID may refer to one value at onetime, but may (if desired) also refer to another value at a differenttime.

This necessarily implies that in order to decode or expose the meaningof a particular DDID, an application must also retain knowledge of thetime to which that DDID applied.

This knowledge may be explicit—that is, the assignment time may also bepart of the record or document in which the DDID was stored—or it may beimplicit—for example, an entire data set may have been obscured as abatch, and presumed (regardless of how long processing actually takes)to have occupied the same instant—and thus have only one consistent setof DDID mappings per field type. In order to reconstitute such data, onewould also need to supply some reference to the corresponding set ofDDID/value associations (stored within the CoT).

DDIDs are Purpose-Bounded

Note that DDIDs are also bounded by context or purpose—meaning the sameDDID can recur in multiple contexts, even at the same time. For example,consider a stream of records, each of which contain a Social SecurityNumber (SSN) and ZIP code, and which all occupy a single time block. Insuch a case, a particular DDID may be used both as a replacement for aZIP code, and also as a replacement for an SSN.

As above, this implies that some indication of that context (e.g. wasthis a ZIP code or SSN?) will be necessary to obtain the cleartext towhich that DDID referred.

Replacing Data with DDIDs

Consider the task of replacing a single stream of data—the same kind ofdata (e.g. ZIP codes or SSNs), occupying the same time block—with DDIDs.A (Java-like) “pseudocode” description of an Application ProgrammingInterface (API) that carries out such behavior in one potentialembodiment of the invention might look like this:

interface DDIDMap {  DDID protect(Value cleartext);  Value expose(DDIDddid); }

In English, “interface” means that we′re defining a collection offunctions (named “DDIDMap”) that operate on the same underlying data.Data types are here denoted with initial upper-case letters (e.g.“DDID”), and variable or function parameter names are denoted withinitial lower-case letters (e.g. the “cleartext” function parameter mustbe data of type “Value”—where “Value” is just a stand-in for any kind ofdata which can be obscured: IDs, quantities, names, ZIP codes, etc.).

One function, “protect( )”, accepts some cleartext value and returns acorresponding DDID. If that value has been seen previously, itspreviously-assigned DDID will be returned. If it has not beenencountered before, a new DDID (so-far unique to this data set) will begenerated, associated with that value, and then returned.

The other function, “expose( )”, reverses this process: when a DDID ispassed to it, it looks up and returns the cleartext value, which waspreviously encoded as that DDID. If the given DDID has never been seenbefore, it fails with an indication of error.

The data managed by these operations, then, is a two-way mapping fromeach cleartext value to the DDID that replaced it, and from the DDIDback to the original value.

Note that although we've said that a given DDID can only refer to asingle value, it is possible, if desired, to implement a variant versionof this algorithm that allows a value to be associated with more thanone DDID.

Managing DDID Maps by Time and Purpose

Recall that the above bidirectional DDID-to-value map operates (i) upona single kind of data (that is, having the same type, context, andpurpose), and (ii) within the same time block. In order to supportoperations across multiple times and contexts, we can posit anotherpotential API which gives us the an appropriate DDID-to-value map for agiven time and purpose:

interface DDIDMapManager {  DDIDMap getMap(Context context, Time time);}

Here, “context” is (or emits) a key that refers to a particular kind ofdata being obscured. (Elsewhere in this document, sometimes also calledthe “association key” or “A_K”.) For example, the context might be thename of the table and column in which data to be obscured will reside(e.g. “employee.salary”). It could also include other non-otherchronological indications of purpose or scope.

The “time” parameter indicates the instant at which the DDID is being(or was) associated with its cleartext value. Since DDID-to-value mapsspan a block of time, and there are many time instances within a block,this implies there exists some function (used internally, within thisAPI, thus not shown above) that finds the time block associated whicheach given time. (More on this in a moment.)

DDID Generation and Time-Blocking Strategies

Note that different kinds of data can employ different DDID replacementstrategies. In addition to those mentioned in the next two sections,DDIDs can vary in size, whether they're universally unique or justunique to that data set (or time block), what kind of encoding they use(e.g., integers or text), etc. And although DDID generation shouldtypically be random, one might also wish to employ deterministic orpseudo-random DDID generators for demonstration, testing, or debuggingpurposes.

Unique or Reused DDIDs

One potential strategy may allow a particular DDID to be assigned to twodifferent Data Subjects in the same context, but during two differenttime blocks. For example, within the same collection of time-anchoredrecords, the DDID “X3Q” might at one moment (in one time block) refer to(for example) “80228”, and later (in another time block), “12124”.(We'll call this strategy “DDID reuse.”)

An alternative is to disallow such “reuse”—and stipulate that a givenDDID, in the same context, can only refer to a single Subject. (Althoughthe subject may still receive different DDIDs over time.)

The choice between these two strategies involves a tradeoff betweenincreased obscurity and the ease with which one may perform aggregationqueries on obscured data.

Imagine we wish to count patients per postal code. If postal codes DDIDsare unique, we can aggregate counts per DDID, and then ask the CoT tofinish the query by resolving those DDIDs to their corresponding postalcodes, and aggregating again. But if we have “reused” DDIDs, then wemust send the entire list of DDIDs and corresponding times to the CoTfor resolution (and aggregation)—because we can't be sure that twoinstances of the same DDID refer to the same value.

DDID Time Blocks

Implementations also have freedom to choose different strategies forsegmenting DDID maps by time. Blocks of time may vary by size and/ortime offset; sizes can be fixed, random, or determined by number ofrecords assigned per time. (Note that employing an infinite-sized timeblock (for a given context) gives behavior equivalent to using “static”identifiers.)

Implementation

Although there may be many strategies for creating new DDIDs, the APIfor generating such DDIDs may look (essentially) identical, regardlessof which strategy is implemented “under the hood”.

For example:

interface DDIDFactory {  DDID createDDID( ); }

Next, consider the task of determining what time block was associatedwith a given DDID assignment. Since a time block can contain manyinstances of time, we'll need some kind of a “time key” (sometimesabbreviated “T_K” in elsewhere in this document) to each time block.This implies the need for a function to obtain the appropriate key forany time instant:

TimeKey timeKey=getTimeKey(Time time);

Further, note that both time-blocking and DDID-generation strategiesdepend upon the kind of data which are being obscured. In short, theyare both associated with a given “context” (which includes or implies anotion of data type and usage), meaning that the “Context” API mustoffer at least one function supporting each:

interface Context {  TimeKey getTimeKey(Time time);  DDIDFactorycreateDDIDFactory( ); }

Given these two additional functions, we can imagine that theimplementation of “getMap( )” in “DDIDManager” (shown previously) maylook something like this:

DDIDMap getMap(Context context, Time time) {  TimeKey timeKey =context.getTimeKey(time);  DDIDMap map = getExistingMap(context,timeKey);  if (map was not found) then  DDIDFactory factory =context.createDDIDFactory( );  map = createMap(factory); storeNewMap(context, timeKey, map);  endif  return map; }

Here, “getExistingMap( )” is some function that finds the map assignedto the given context and time key, “createMap( )” creates a map whichwill use the given DDID factory, and “storeNewMap( )” associates anewly-created map with the context and time key by which it will beretrieved later.)

Using Context to Obscure Data and Attribute Types

Dynamic Anonymity may define the following different kinds of data to beprotected: (i) primary keys which refer to Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes and/or traits (e.g. employee ID), (ii) attributedata associated with, but not unique to, Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes and/or traits (e.g. employee postal code), and(iii) the indication of a disassociated (obscured) data element's type,itself (an “association key”, or “A_K”).

Each of these can be achieved by defining a different context: firstwe'll discuss (i) and (ii), which are both achieved by obscuring datavalues (replacing them with “replacement key” DDIDs, abbreviated as“R_K” elsewhere). We will address (iii) the indication of adisassociated (obscured) data element's type, below.

Consider a trivial example: an order table recording which customersbought products on a given day. Each record has a day number, a customerID, and a product ID. We want to obscure this data for use or analysisby some third party, who is outside the CoT. In particular, we wish toobscure the customer and product IDs, but leave the day numbers intact.

To do so, we could create two “Context” instances: one for “CustomerID”, and one for “Product ID”. Although DDIDs, should ideally be random,for our purposes, let's assume that our “DDIDFactory” will createinteger DDIDs sequentially, starting from 0. Further, assume that eachDDID map spans only three days, so after three days, a new set of DDIDmappings will be used. This also implies that DDIDs will be “reused”—thesame DDID can refer to different values when used different blocks.(This is not an ideal encoding strategy and is used here only forillustration purposes.)

TABLE 1 show some cleartext sample data:

TABLE 1 Day Customer ID Product ID 1 500 ZZZ 2 600 XXX 3 600 YYY 4 700TTT 5 500 YYY 6 600 TTT

After being obscured (as specified above), this data would look as shownin TABLE 2 below:

TABLE 2 Day Customer ID Product ID 1 0 0 2 1 1 3 1 2 4 0 0 5 1 1 6 2 0

To understand this, you read down each column, and think in groups ofthree days (the first time block of DDIDs covers, for each obscuredfield, days 1-3, and the second covers 4-6).

For the first three days, customer ID is: 500, 600, 600. The resultingencoding is: 0, 1, 1 (note that 600 is repeated, so its DDID, 1, is alsorepeated.)

For the second three days, customer ID is: 700, 600, 500. And (startingover from 0), the result is: 0, 1, 2 (note that 500 was 0 before, nowit's 2).

Product ID uses a separate context, and thus stream of DDIDs, so it alsostarts from zero:

For the first time block (ZZZ, XXX, YYY) becomes (0, 1, 2).

For the second time block (TTT, YYY, TTT) becomes (0, 1, 0).

Another “Context” could be employed to obscure the indication of adisassociated (obscured) data element's type (iii above), where thecolumn names are examples of Attribute Keys (A_K)). This could be doneusing one DDID-to-value mapping for the whole set (effectivelysubstituting DDID for the column names), or in time blocks (as with theother fields in this example) such that (if an appropriately random DDIDgeneration strategy were employed) the affected records could not beanalyzed without the assistance of the Circle of Trust.

Notes on Locality and Time

The example APIs defined above presume that when data is encoded, theencoding time is passed with each datum or record. This is onlynecessary when DDIDs are being “reused” within the same context (andthus time is needed to discriminate between the two potential meaningsof that DDID). When a DDID is only assigned to one value per context,that DDID is sufficient to discover the (single) original value.

Time could also become an issue where “reused” DDIDs are being employedacross different systems, which might have slightly different notions oftime. If it is not possible to pass the time associated with a DDIDencoding, a (chronological) “buffer” could be employed to prevent a DDIDfrom being re-used too close to it's original assignment. And when it ispossible to pass the time associated with the data to be encoded, thetime could be “sanity-checked”against the local system clock: skewwithin a small window (smaller than the DDID reuse buffer) could betolerated, whereas larger differences would trigger an error report.

Finally, note that there is also flexibility regarding where data isbeing encoded: data could be streamed to a machine residing within theCoT, and then sent along to its destination after encoding. But,alternatively, the encoding portions of the above algorithms could berun outside the Circle of Trust, provided that the resultingDDID-to-value associations were (a) not stored on the local host, and(b) safely (e.g. using encryption, and with appropriate safeguardsagainst data loss) streamed to a CoT host for persistence, loweringlatency in critical applications.

Dynamic Anonymity: De-Identification without De-Valuation

“De-identification” techniques traditionally used in certaincircumstances (e.g., HIPAA or health related circumstances) to protectdata privacy/anonymity may be largely defensive in nature—e.g., a seriesof masking steps is applied to direct identifiers (e.g., name, address)and masking and/or statistically-based manipulations are applied toquasi-identifiers (e.g., age, sex, profession) in order to reduce thelikelihood of re-identification by unauthorized third parties. Thisapproach may result in a trade-offs between protecting againstre-identification and retaining access to usable information.

Dynamic Anonymity may have significant offensive value in that the valueof information can be retained and leveraged/exploited for authorizedpurposes, all with a statistically insignificant risk ofre-identification of any datum. Dynamic Anonymity may reject theproposition and traditional dichotomy that, in order to minimize risk,one must sacrifice the value of information content. Instead, DynamicAnonymity may minimize both risk and the amount of information lost,enabling most—if not all—of it to be recovered, but only uponauthorization by the Data Subject/Trusted Party, not by unauthorizedadversaries/“black hat” hackers.

Dynamic Anonymity may uniquely enable information to be used indifferent ways by multiple parties in a controlled environment thatfacilitates unlocking and maximizing the value of data. DynamicAnonymity may maximize the value of potential business intelligence,research, analysis and other processes while simultaneouslysignificantly improving the quality and performance of dataprivacy/anonymity processes.

When collected or stored, sensitive data may be “disassociated” from itssubject using one or more of the following strategies, none of whichincurs any loss in value:

-   -   1. Segmentation: Sensitive data may be split into several        pieces, by data type, and transmitted and/or stored separately        (either in separate Circles of Trust, or using different DDID        mapping sets maintained by the same Trusted Party) so that each        piece, alone, yields no Personal Data.    -   2. ID replacement: Static identifiers can be replaced with        dynamically changing and re-assignable DDIDs obscuring the        relationship between data and the Data Subject to which that        data refers.    -   3. Obscuring: data values and data type indicators may also be        replaced with DDIDs.

The DDIDs associated with these operations are stored within a Circle ofTrust (CoT) as shown in FIG. 1C-1; the original data may thus bereconstituted by reversing these transformations, but only with thecooperation of the CoT itself, and thus only when granted suchpermissions by, and/or on behalf of, the Data Subject.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an embodiment of the invention,including a system having a privacy server 50 or privacy server modulewhich securely manages various data attributes and data attributecombinations (which may include but are not limited to behavioral data,transaction histories, credit ratings, identity information, socialnetwork data, personal history information, medical and employmentinformation, and education history) relating to a Data Subject for usein different applications 56. These applications 56 may include, but arenot limited to:

Healthcare Applications

-   -   Medical Records    -   Mobile Applications    -   Real-time Critical Care Applications    -   Regulatory Compliance (e.g., HIPAA)    -   Research

Education Applications

-   -   Student Records    -   Research

Mobile Applications

-   -   Geolocation (Beacons, GPS, Wi-Fi Fingerprinting)    -   Mobile Payment and Loyalty

Financial Service Applications

-   -   Banking, Brokerage, etc.    -   Payment Processing    -   Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security    -   Authorization    -   Verification of card holder status    -   Regulatory Compliance    -   Research    -   Credit assessment    -   Fraud detection

Web Applications

-   -   Ad serving    -   Content review    -   E-commerce    -   Social networks

‘Internet of Things’ Applications

-   -   Telematics    -   Smart Grid    -   Smart Cities        -   Traffic Monitoring        -   Utility Monitoring            -   Power            -   Fuel            -   Water/Sewage        -   Waste Management    -   Smart Offices    -   Smart Factories    -   Smart Homes        -   Connected Entertainment            -   TV            -   Streaming Devices        -   Automation            -   HVAC            -   Lighting        -   Security            -   Window/Door Locks            -   Fire/Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors        -   Appliances    -   Smart Vehicles    -   Agriculture-Field Sensors    -   Wearable Devices        -   Healthcare Monitoring        -   Fit devices        -   Eyewear        -   Clothing    -   Drones

Private Wireless/Wired Networks

-   -   Crop Sensors    -   Tagged Animal Tracking    -   Troop Movements

Private Security Applications

E-Commerce Applications

Offline Retail Applications

Human Resources/Hiring Applications

Governmental Applications

-   -   National Security Applications        -   Analysis of call detail records        -   Analysis of web browsing behavior        -   Analysis of online and offline purchasing behavior        -   Analysis of travel behavior        -   Analysis of social media activity        -   Analysis of circles of friends, acquaintances and other            relationships

Attorney/Law Firm Applications

-   -   Maintaining of confidentiality/attorney-client privilege

Consumer Contest Entry Applications

Dating Applications

Gambling and e-Wagering Applications

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of an embodiment of the invention,including a system having a privacy server 50 or privacy server modulewhich receives electronic data from one or more external databases 82and securely converts various data attributes and data attributecombinations from such one or more external data bases (which mayinclude but are not limited to behavioral data, transaction histories,credit ratings, identity information, social network data, personalhistory information, employment information, medical and educationhistory) relating to a Data Subject into TDRs for use in differentapplications. Alternatively, applications store only DataSubject-to-DDID association information within the privacy server 50 anduse Dynamic Anonymity-defined procedures to obscure, encrypt, and/orsegment data stored in external databases 82. In this manner, DataSubject-to-DDID association information stored within the privacy server50 could provide greater context and/or business value to informationgenerated, collected and/or stored in external databases 82.

In one example, embodiments of the invention may form a secure andcomprehensive aggregated data profile 58 of a Data Subject for use inone or more applications 56. A Data Subject or related party thereto,e.g., user 59, may anonymously communicate or selectively disclose theData Subject's identity and/or data attributes from the Data Subject'saggregated data profile 58 (comprised of data attributes, attributecombinations or portions thereof, potentially from unrelated datasources) to vendors, service providers, advertisers or other entitieswith whom the Data Subject or related party is interested incommunicating 57 via a network 72 (for instance, to possibly receiveservices or enter into a purchase transaction) based on one or more ofthe Data Subject's characteristics as expressed in the Data Subject'saggregated data profile 58 (comprised of data attributes, data attributecombinations or portions thereof, potentially from unrelated datasources). In this manner, embodiments of the invention provide fordigital rights management for individuals (“DRMI”) referring to a DataSubject, a related party or a third party managing data attributes anddata attribute combinations pertaining to a Data Subject or digitalrights management for de-identification (“DRMD”) comprised of a thirdparty managing data attributes and data attribute combinationsassociated with one or more Data Subjects. In one example, the extent towhich information regarding the data attributes, data attributecombinations, Data Subjects and/or related parties may be made availableto other parties may be controlled by embodiments of the presentinvention.

In the examples of FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A, a plurality of users 59, forexample Data Subjects or service providers, utilize devices such assmart devices 70 (e.g., wearable, mobile or immobile smart devices),smartphones, tablets, notebooks, desktop computers, wired or wirelessdevices, or other computing devices running a privacy client application60 to access a network 72 such as the Internet. As shown in FIG. 1 andFIG. 1A, a system 80 is illustrated which is coupled with and incommunication with the Internet or other public or private network, andthe system may include a privacy server 50 securely coupled with one ormore databases 82. In one example, the privacy server 50 may beimplemented using computer program modules, code products, or modulesrunning on a server or other computing device. The one or more databases82 may be implemented using any conventional database technology,including technology that securely stores data (such as throughencryption) in redundant locations such as but not limited to RAIDstorage devices, network attached storage, or any other conventionaldatabases.

In one example, the privacy server 50 implements one or more of theoperations, processes, functions or process steps described herein, andthe privacy server 50 may include or be configured to include otheroperations, functions or process steps as desired depending upon theparticular implementation of the invention, including but not limited tothe following processes, operations or functions performed by theindicated modules:

An authentication module 51 that may provide for both internal andexternal authentication including the following processes:

a. Internal authentication of privacy client 60 requests for TDRs, andprivacy server 50 generation of TDRs.

b. External authentication before allowing participation in desiredactions, activities, or processes and use of TDRs to authenticaterecipients as approved to receive Time Keys (TKs), Association Keys(AKs) and/or Replacement Keys (RKs) as may be necessary to unlockcontents of TDRs.

c. One example implementation of the authorization module may includeallowing delegation of the ability to request generation of DDIDs andassociated TDRs to other parties authorized by the controlling entity.

An abstraction module 52 that may provide internal and externalabstraction that may include one or more of the following processes:

a. Selecting DDIDs by means of generating unique DDIDs or accepting ormodifying temporally unique, dynamically changing values to serve asDDIDs.

b. Associating DDIDs with data attributes or attribute combinations toform TDRs for given Data Subjects, actions, activities, processes ortraits.

c. Including only a portion of relevant data attributes in TDRs therebydisassociating the data attributes pertaining to a Data Subject and/orrelevant for a given action, activity, process or trait.

d. Replacing one or more of data attributes contained in one or moreTDRs with DDIDs.

e. Replacing with DDIDs one or more references to external networks,internets, intranets, and/or computing devices that may be integrated,or communicate, with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

A maintenance module 53 that may store:

a. TDR information pertaining to Data Subjects, actions, activities,processes or traits, “Pertinent Data” (defined as data initiallyassociated with a DDID and/or data aggregated with a DDID during and/orfollowing the time period of association) and/or DDIDs; and

b. Key information pertaining to (a) Time Keys (TKs) reflectinginformation regarding the time periods during which each DDID wasassociated with a particular Data Subject, attribute, attributecombination, action, activity, process or trait, (b) Association Keys(AKs) and/or (c) Replacement Keys (RKs);

Thereby allowing the TDRs to be later re-associated with a particularattribute, attribute combination, action, activity, process, traitand/or associated Data Subject. In addition, the maintenance module mayperform further analysis and processing of attributes, or attributecombinations in a secure environment.

An access log module 54 that may include collecting and storinginformation to enable post-incident forensic analysis in the event ofsystem error and/or misuse.

A verification module 55 that may include validating and verifying theintegrity of aggregated data profiles including data attributes,attribute combinations, DDIDs, and TDRs at any point in time.

As described herein, embodiments of the present invention are directedto promoting privacy, anonymity, security, and accuracy in relation toelectronic data and network communication, analysis and/or research. Inone example, data elements pertaining to Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes or traits may be abstracted by linking dataelements pertaining to the Data Subject, action, activity, process ortrait to independent attributes or dependent attributes and/orseparating data elements pertaining to the Data Subject, action,activity, process or trait into independent attributes or dependentattributes. For purposes of this disclosure, a data attribute may referto any data element that can be used, independently or in combinationwith other data elements, to identify a Data Subject, such as a person,place or thing, and/or associated actions, activities, processes ortraits.

As mentioned above, in addition to abstracting data that may be used toidentify Data Subjects such as a person, place or thing, the abstractionmodule 52 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 1A may also be used to abstract data relatedto Data Subjects such as things which may include, but are not limitedto: physical or virtual things and entities; hardware or virtualdevices; software applications; legal entities; objects; images; audioor video information; sensory information; multimedia information;geo-location information; privacy/anonymity information; securityinformation; electronic messaging information including senders andreceivers, message content, hyperlinks in messages, embedded content inmessages, and information relating to the devices and servers involvedin sending and receiving the messages; social media and electronicforums; online websites and blogs; RFID (radio frequencyidentification); tracking information; tax information; educationalinformation; identifiers related to military, national defense, or othergovernment entity programs; virtual reality information; massivelymultiplayer online role-playing games (i.e., MMORPGs); medicalinformation; biometric data; behavior metric information; geneticinformation; data referring to the physical or virtual location of otherdata; and instantiations or representations of data or information.

The systems, methods and devices described herein may be used in oneexample to provide digital rights management for an individual (DRMI)and/or digital rights management for de-identification (DRMD). Digitalrights management for an individual may comprise individual directedprivacy/anonymity wherein a related party manages data attributespertaining to one or more related parties. In this situation, therelated party would serve as the controlling entity. Alternatively, athird party may manage data attributes pertaining to one or more relatedparties thereby comprising entity directed privacy/anonymity. In thissituation, the third party would serve as the controlling entity.Digital rights management for de-identification also comprises entitydirected privacy/anonymity, wherein a third party manages dataattributes associated with data attributes associated with relatedparties, and controls the extent to which information regarding the dataattributes and/or related parties is made available to other parties.

The systems, methods and devices disclosed herein may be used to provideDRMI such that one or more related parties, directly or indirectly, maymanage their online digital fingerprint of data. The related parties mayalso control the extent to which information pertaining to dataattributes, Data Subjects or one or more related parties is madeavailable to third parties, such that the information and data may bemade available in an anonymous, non re-identifiable manner. The systems,methods and devices provide a dynamically changing environment in whichrelated parties may want to share data at one moment but not at the nextmoment. This is done with the understanding that the time intervals,specific receiving entities, physical or virtual whereabouts, or othermechanisms that trigger changes in the data to be shared may be dynamicin nature. Implementing DRMI enables non re-identifiable anonymity, andmay allow for different information pertaining to data attributes, DataSubjects and related parties to be shared for different purposes on adynamically changing, time and/or place sensitive, case-by-case basis.Particular needs with respect to information pertaining to dataattributes, Data Subjects or related parties at specific times andplaces may be accommodated without revealing additional, unnecessaryinformation, unless such revealing is authorized by the controllingentity. Additional, unnecessary information may be, for example, thetrue identity of the Data Subject or related party, mailing addresses,email addresses, previous online actions, or any other information notnecessary for an unrelated party with respect to a specific action,activity, process or trait with respect to a Data Subject or relatedparty.

The systems, methods and devices disclosed herein may be used to provideDRMD such that entities may centrally manage the online digitalfingerprint of information pertaining to data attributes, Data Subjectsand related parties for which they are responsible; and such entitiesmay control the extent to which information is made available to otherparties in a non re-identifiable versus identifiable manner. This allowsthe entity to satisfy de-identification objectives and/or obligations tocomply with desires of Data Subjects, related parties and regulatoryprotections and prohibitions.

Example implementations of some embodiments of the invention can beconfigured to provide DRMI and/or DRMD capabilities with regard to dataattributes comprised of images or video files revealing identifyingfacial characteristics are discussed below. A Data Subject or relatedparty may benefit from others being able to make inferences aboutidentity based on unique facial characteristics of the Data Subject inan electronic image. However, the rapidly expanding commercialavailability and use of facial recognition technologies combined withthe growing availability of electronic images pose issues with regard toprivacy/anonymity and security of Data Subjects and related parties. Inone example, privacy/anonymity and security can be safeguarded using oneor more aspects of the present disclosures, with respect to DataSubjects and related parties, in the context of data attributes that arephotos including facial images and characteristics of Data Subjects.

In some embodiments, the systems, methods and devices disclosed hereincan be configured to distinguish between the status of parties asregistered/authorized versus nonregistered/unauthorized visitors to awebsite or other electronic image-sharing application containing a dataattribute. A distinction may also be made between registered/authorizedvisitors to a website or other photo sharing application containing dataattributes pertaining to contacts/friends of a Data Subject or relatedparty versus not contacts/friends of a Data Subject or related partydepending on the status of a party. In one example, a system of thepresent invention may control whether any image data attribute ispresented containing facial features. If an image data attribute ispresented containing facial features, the system may further control andlimit unauthorized use and copying of photos that can lead to unintendedsecondary uses through additional protection techniques. In addition,some embodiments of the present invention may provide Data Subjects,related parties and controlling entities with the ability to designatewhich additional parties and for which specific purposes the image dataattribute may be presented at all. If the data attribute is presented,the Data Subjects, related parties or controlling entities may designatewhether the image makes use of known protection techniques aimed atlimiting unauthorized use and copying of photos, thereby preventing orreducing the risk of unintended secondary uses of the image.

DRMI may enable Data Subjects and related parties, directly orindirectly, to manage photos containing facial images and control theextent to which photos pertaining to the related parties are madeavailable to third parties in an identifiable, non-identifiable,reproducible or non-reproducible manner.

An example of a potential implementation of the present invention mayinvolve use of DRMI by a provider of wearable, implantable, embeddable,or otherwise connectable computing technology/devices to mitigatepotential public concern over information obtained and/or processedusing the technology/device. For example, GOOGLE® could adopt DRMI tofacilitate wider adoption of GOOGLE GLASS® by establishing ado-not-digitally-display-list (analogous to the do-not-call-listmaintained by the FTC to limit undesired solicitation calls toindividuals) that enables Data Subjects or related parties to registerto prohibit the digital display of unauthorized photos taken using ordisplayed by GOOGLE GLASS®. (GOOGLE® and GOOGLE GLASS® are trademarks ofGoogle, Inc.)

DRMI provided by one example of the present invention may furtherprovide a Data Subject or related party who is a member of theprofessional networking site LinkedIn.com with a feature to manage theextent to which photos are made available to third parties in anidentifiable, non-identifiable, reproducible or non-reproducible manner.Access to, use of, and copying of photos containing facial images of aData Subject or related party may be controlled using, in one example, athree-tiered categorization schema:

Category A treatment or status may apply to visitors to the LinkedIn.comwebsite who are not registered/authorized members of LinkedIn.com. Thesevisitors may be provided no means to view or copy photos containingfacial images of registered/authorized LinkedIn® (LinkedIn® is atrademark of LinkedIn Corporation.) members. Instead, they may be servedvia their web browser, mobile application or other application agraphic, image, indicator or avatar that indicates photos are availableonly to registered/authorized users of the LinkedIn.com website.

Category B treatment or status may apply to registered/authorizedmembers of LinkedIn.com who are not authenticated contacts of aregistered/authorized member of LinkedIn.com. By using additionalprotection techniques aimed at limiting unauthorized use and copying ofphotos that can lead to unintended secondary uses, theseregistered/authorized members may be provided with limited means to viewor copy photos containing facial images of LinkedIn® member with regardto whom they are not an authenticated contact. These additionalprotection techniques may include but are not limited to:

-   -   1. Tiling to divide an image into smaller image tiles that will        appear as a continuous image but are limited to only one tile        piece at a time with respect to any entity endeavoring to copy        the image;    -   2. Employing image watermarking techniques;    -   3. Hiding layers to place an image containing facial        characteristics behind a transparent foreground image;    -   4. Providing images without a color profile or palette;    -   5. Preventing downloads through table instructions that disable        ‘right click’ copying or use of images;    -   6. Preventing downloads through JavaScript technology that        disables ‘right click” copying or use capabilities images;    -   7. Preventing downloads through Flash technology that disables        ‘right click” copying or use capabilities images;    -   8. Hiding images by URL encoding techniques images;    -   9. Using META tags to prevent images containing facial features        from being indexed by search engine spiders, robots or bots        images; and    -   10. Using Robot.txt files to prevent images containing facial        features from being indexed by search engine spiders, robots or        bots images.

Category C treatment or status may apply to registered/authorizedmembers of LinkedIn.com who are also authenticated contacts of anotherregistered/authorized member of LinkedIn.com. Theseregistered/authorized members may be provided with full means to view orcopy photos containing facial images of the other LinkedIn® member.

DRMD may be provided by some example of the present invention such thatentities can centrally manage photo data attributes containing facialimages for which they are responsible and can control the extent towhich the photo data attributes are made available to other parties inan identifiable, non-identifiable, reproducible or non-reproduciblemanner.

One example of a potential implementation of the present invention mayinvolve use of a system providing DRMD by a controlling entity thatleverages known facial image recognition capabilities to limitdisclosure of elements by parties who are not authorized by a DataSubject or related party of a photo data attribute which containsrecognizable facial elements of said registered/authorized Data Subjector related party to view the facial elements. Rather, a party who triesto upload, use or view a photo that includes facial elements of aregistered/authorized Data Subject or related party whose facialcharacteristics are registered with the DRMD system, but which party hasnot been authorized by the registered/authorized Data Subject or relatedparty, may see and be able to use only a modified version of the photoaltered by the DRMD system to block out or ‘de-tag’ the recognizablefacial elements of the registered/authorized Data Subject or relatedparty. For example, a picture taken at a public bar that includes theface of a Data Subject or related party registered with a systemproviding DRMD may be modified to block out or ‘de-tag’ the face of therelated party on all versions of the photo except those as explicitlyauthorized by the Data Subject or related party.

In one example of the present invention, the authentication module canbe configured so that decisions as to who sees what information aredetermined by a controlling entity on a configurable basis. In oneexample, the configurable control may include automatic and/or manualdecisions and updates made on a timely, case-by-case manner by providingeach controlling entity with the ability to dynamically change thecomposition of information comprised of data attributes at any time. Theenhanced customization achieved by dynamically changing the compositionof data attributes leads to greater relevancy and accuracy ofinformation offered pertaining to a data attribute and/or related party.As disclosed herein, use of DDIDs as a component of privacy, anonymityand security enables each recipient entity receiving information toreceive different information as appropriate for each particularpurpose, thereby fostering the distribution of fresh, timely and highlyrelevant and accurate information, as opposed to stale, time burdened,less accurate accretive data such as provided via conventionalpersistent or static identifiers or other mechanisms.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A also illustrate various examples of privacy clients60 operating on user devices 70 such as computers, smartphones or otherwired or wireless devices, wherein the user devices may communicate withthe privacy server 50 over a network 72 such as the Internet or otherpublic or private network.

In one example, a privacy client component of the present disclosure maybe resident on a mobile device. The privacy client may be provided aspart of a mobile application or operating system running on the mobiledevice, or may be configured as a hardware device, integrated circuit orchip of a mobile device. Mobile devices implementing one or more aspectsof the present disclosure may possess real-time knowledge of location,activity and/or behavior with respect to Data Subjects and/or relatedparties pertaining to the device. The mobile device may also transmit,receive and process information with other devices and informationsources. Mobile applications interacting with the privacy client mayprovide the controlling entity with control over both the timing andlevel of participation in location and time sensitive applications, andthe degree to which information is shared with third parties in ananonymous—rather than personally identifiable—manner. Mobile devicesimplementing one or more aspects of the present disclosure may alsoleverage the unique capabilities of mobile devices to aggregate a user'spersonal preference information gathered from across a variety ofunrelated and disparate sources (whether they be mobile devices, moretraditional computer systems or a combination of both) and—only with theusers' approval—share a user's information (on an anonymous orpersonalized basis) with vendors to facilitate time- and/orlocation-sensitive personalized commercial opportunities. As may now beunderstood more clearly, users may determine whether the benefits ofsuch time- and/or location-sensitive personalized commercialopportunities justify identifying themselves in connection with thetransactions.

For example, without embodiment of the invention, static identifiersconventionally associated with a mobile device may enable mobileapplication providers and other third parties to aggregate informationpertaining to use of the mobile device; and by aggregating the data onuse of the mobile device, application providers and other third partiesmay obtain information which may include but not be limited toinformation related to the device user's frequent physical locations,calling habits, content preferences, and online transactions that theycould not obtain through data from any one time interaction with thedevice user. Through the use of some embodiments of the presentinvention, application providers and other third parties would beprevented from aggregating information pertaining to use of a mobiledevice by Data Subjects and related parties; and some embodiments of thepresent invention may be configured to provide a mobile device with usemobile applications requiring access to geolocation information (e.g.,direction or map applications), without revealing the identity of themobile device, Data Subject or related party by means of dynamicallycreated, changeable and re-assignable DDIDs described herein; ratherthan conventional static identifiers.

In one example, embodiments of the present invention may be configuredto provide enhanced privacy, anonymity, security and accuracy overpersistent and/or static identifiers, and by leveraging DDIDs ratherthan aggregate on a static identifier; thereby, embodiments of thepresent invention can provide a solution to online digital fingerprintsbeing left across networks and internets. As a result, embodiments ofthe present invention may provide a controlling entity with the abilityto decide who sees what data, prevent data aggregators fromunderstanding data connections pertaining to a Data Subject or relatedparty without the controlling entity's permission, and provide controlto the controlling entity over upstream and/or downstream disseminationof information.

In one example of the present invention, continued access may beprovided for the benefits of big data analytics by using DDIDs toprovide multiple protective levels of abstraction. Systems, methods anddevices embodying some aspects of the present invention also do notsuffer from the fundamental flaws of Do-Not-Track and other initiativesthat eliminate access to the data required for effective big dataanalytics and that are inconsistent with economic models offering freeor discounted products or services in return for information.Do-Not-Track is a technology and policy proposal that enables DataSubjects or related parties to opt out of certain tracking by websitesand third party data collecting entities as they are online, includinganalytics services, advertising networks, and social platforms. AlthoughDo-Not-Track provides Data Subjects and related parties with enhancedprivacy, anonymity and security, it denies them the benefits ofreceiving customized, personally relevant offerings while online throughbig data analytics. This impacts the economic benefits that big dataanalytics provides to merchants, service providers, and Data Subjects orrelated parties themselves.

In contrast, some embodiments of the present invention may have a netneutral to positive revenue impact (versus the net negative revenueimpact of Do-Not-Track initiatives), because with some embodiments ofthe present invention, a controlling entity may include data attributesin TDRs that enable recipient entities to use existing trackingtechnology to track TDRs for the duration of their existence. Thecontrolling entity may also include information that is more accuratethan available via tracking alone to facilitate personalization andcustomization. For example, a controlling entity may elect to includecertain data with regard to past browsing sessions on a website in theattribute combinations pertaining to a Data Subject or related partythat are sent via a privacy client to that website, augmented with otherspecific more up-to-date information beneficial to both the website andthe Data Subject or related party.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A, one embodiment of the present inventionmay comprise a computer network 72 in which one or more remote privacyclients 60 comprised of computer hardware, firmware or software residenton one or more computing devices 70 or resident on and accessible via anetwork device send requests/queries to, and receive services/responsesfrom, one or more computing devices that act as privacy servers 50.Privacy client computing devices 70 may comprise smart devices (i.e.,wearable, movable or immovable smart devices), smartphones, tablets,notebook computers, desktop computers, or other computing devices withprograms that (i) enable requests for services from, and/or submissionof queries to, privacy servers, (ii) provide user interfacecapabilities, (iii) provide application processing capabilities, and/or(iv) offer localized storage and memory. Privacy server 50 computingdevices may comprise large personal computers, minicomputers, mainframecomputers or other computing devices with programs that (i) respond torequests for services/queries from privacy clients, (ii) providecentralized or decentralized administration of the system, (iii) providehigh-volume application processing capabilities, and/or (iv) offerhigh-volume storage and memory capabilities integrated with one or moredatabases. Privacy servers 50 may also be configured to perform one ormore of the operations or features described herein. Communicationscapabilities between and among privacy servers and privacy clients maybe comprised of computer networks, internets, intranets, public andprivate networks or communication channels, and supporting technologies.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A, another potential embodiment of thepresent invention may comprise a computer network in which one or moreremote privacy clients 60 comprised of computer hardware, firmware orsoftware resident on one or more computing devices 70 or resident on andaccessible via a network device-send requests/queries to and receiveservices/responses from, one or more computing devices that act asprivacy servers 50 wherein said privacy servers 50 may transmit via theInternet, internets, intranets or other networks electronic informationto cards, mobile, wearable and/or other portable devices that mayinclude means of electronically receiving and storing information,wherein said cards, mobile, wearable and/or other portable devicescontain information pertaining to data attributes and/or DDIDs untilsuch time, if any, as said information pertaining to data attributesand/or DDIDs is modified by said privacy servers.

The privacy servers and privacy clients may implement modules includingprogram code that carry out one or more steps or operations of theprocesses and/or features described herein. The program code may bestored on a computer readable medium, accessible by a processor of theprivacy server or privacy client. The computer readable medium may bevolatile or non-volatile, and may be removable or non-removable. Thecomputer readable medium may be, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, solidstate memory technology, Erasable Programmable ROM (“EPROM”),Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (“EEPROM”), CD-ROM, DVD, magneticcassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic oroptical storage devices, or any other conventional storage technique orstorage device.

Privacy servers and associated databases may store informationpertaining to TDRs, time periods/stamps, DDIDs, attributes, attributecombinations, Data Subjects, related parties, associated profiles andother related information. Privacy servers and associated databases maybe managed by and accessible to the controlling entity, but, in oneexample, not by other parties unless authorized by the controllingentity. In one example, an authentication module of one or more privacyservers controls access to data through the TDRs. Privacy clients mayrequest information from privacy servers necessary to perform desiredactions, activities, processes or traits and/or query privacy serverswhether TDRs are authorized to participate with respect to a requestedaction, activity, process or trait at a particular time and/or place.Privacy clients may also aggregate data with respect to actions,activities, processes or traits in which TDRs associated with theprivacy client engage, such as tracking data, obviating the need toreturn to the database for data extrapolation. Insights gleaned by otherparties may become part of a TDR for its duration, in one example.

In one example implementation of the invention, the abstraction module52 is configured such that a controlling entity (which may be the DataSubject or a related party) links data pertaining to a Data Subject toattributes and/or separates data pertaining to a Data Subject intoattributes that can be divided, combined, rearranged, or added intovarious attribute combinations. These combinations may contain anycombination of attributes or previously created attribute combinationsassociated with the Data Subject.

In this example with regard to each intended action, activity, processor trait involving the privacy server, the abstraction module in oneexample enables the controlling entity to limit the degree ofidentifying information transmitted or stored by selecting from amongthe attributes only those that are necessary with respect to a desiredaction, activity, process or trait and linking those data attributes toone or more attribute combinations and/or separating those dataattributes into one or more attribute combinations. The controllingentity may then use the abstraction module to dynamically create and/orassign a DDID to form a TDR for each attribute combination. The DDID maybe configured to expire after preset delays or cues, and may be re-usedfor data associated with another action, activity, process or traitand/or other Data Subjects or related parties, thereby leaving noprecise trail of association outside of the privacy server. In oneexample, before assigning or accepting a DDID to form a TDR, theabstraction module may verify that the DDID is not actively being usedin another TDR. In order to make this verification, an additional buffertimeout period may be included to address potential outages and systemdown time. The greater the number of data attributes and associated TDRsgenerated with respect to a desired action, activity, process, or trait,the greater the privacy, anonymity, and security achieved. In thissituation, an unauthorized party gaining access to one of the TDRs wouldgain access to only that information contained in the TDR. In oneexample, the information in a single TDR may be only a fraction of theattributes necessary with respect to the desired action, activity,process, or trait, and further does not provide the informationnecessary to determine other TDRs containing necessary attributes, or todetermine any Data Subjects and/or related parties that may beassociated with the TDRs.

In one example, the creation of TDRs by means of the abstraction modulemay be based on one or more processes that match prescribed stepsnecessary to describe or perform different actions, activities orprocesses with specified categories of attributes associated with thesteps, and selecting or combining those attributes necessary withrespect to the particular action, activity, process or trait. Theprocess of creating TDRs by means of the abstraction module may beperformed directly by the controlling entity or indirectly by one ormore parties authorized by the controlling entity.

For example, a first database containing credit card purchasinginformation may include information necessary for a credit card issuerto conduct big data analytics on the purchasing information. However,the database need not include identifying information for the users ofthe credit cards. Identifying information for the users of the creditcards could be represented in this first database by DDIDs, and theReplacement Keys (RKs) necessary to associate the DDIDs with the userscould be stored in a separate secure database accessible to a privacyserver and/or system modules. In this manner, the system may helpprotect the identity of credit card users and limit potential financialloss in the event of unauthorized entry into the first databasecontaining credit card purchasing information because the DDIDs andrelated information would not be decipherable to unauthorized parties.

In addition, in one example of the present invention, real-time or batchanalysis of data from mobile/wearable/portable devices can be performedin a manner that would be beneficial to receiving entities, such asmerchants or service providers, without sacrificing theprivacy/anonymity of the users of the mobile/wearable/portable devices.Each user may be considered a related party to themobile/wearable/portable device in question as well as the Data Subjectassociated with the device itself or use of the device. In return forspecial offers or other concessions proffered by receiving entities,users of the mobile/wearable/portable devices could elect to havenon-identifying TDRs shared in an anonymous fashion based on the users'real-time location, real-time activities, or during a particulartemporal period, e.g., with receiving entities that are located within aprescribed distance of a particular geographic location (e.g., 1 mile,1000 feet, 20 feet, or other distance depending upon the implementation)or within a prescribed category (e.g., jewelry, clothes, restaurant,bookstore, or other establishment) with respect to the location of themobile/wearable/portable device. In this manner, receiving entitiescould have an accurate aggregated view of the demographics of theirpotential customer base—in terms of age, gender, income, and otherfeatures. These demographics may be revealed by TDRs shared by themobile/wearable/portable device users at different locations, times ofthe day and days of the week that may help receiving parties moreeffectively determine what services, desired inventory and other sales,supply chain, or inventory-related activities to offer with regard torelated parties. In one example, Data Subjects and related parties,which may be the users of the mobile/wearable/portable devices, wouldbenefit from special arrangements or offers without ever having toreveal their personal information to the receiving entities (who wouldsimply know that a Data Subject or related party was registered, butwould not know what specific information to associate with anyparticular Data Subject or related party) unless and only to the extentdesired by the Data Subject or related party.

In one example implementation of the invention, the authorization modulecan provide the controlling entity with control over which otherentities may be provided access to, or use of, TDR information. Thecontrolling entity may further use the abstraction module to control thedegree to which the other entities have access to specific elements ofinformation contained in the system. For example, amobile/wearable/portable platform provider serving as the controllingentity may provide performance data to a mobile/wearable/portable devicemanufacturer without having to reveal the identity of the device, DataSubject or related party user or location of the device, Data Subject orrelated party user. The mobile/wearable/portable platform provider mayalso provide a mobile/wearable/portable application provider withgeolocation data necessary for a mobile/wearable/portable device to usea mapping or other application without having to reveal the identity ofthe device, Data Subject or related party user. Conversely, themobile/wearable/portable platform provider may use the system to providean emergency 911 system with location and identity data pertaining tothe device as well as the Data Subject or related party user of thedevice. One example implementation of the authorization module mayinclude allowing delegation of the ability to request generation ofDDIDs and associated TDRs to other parties authorized by the controllingentity.

According to one example implementation of the present invention,receiving entities could use information regardingmobile/wearable/portable device related parties to customize userexperiences or opportunities at locations where related parties gather,without requiring that personal identifying information be revealed. Forexample, a band that plays both country-western and gospel music could,in real-time or near real-time, determine that the majority of relatedparties attending the concert preferred gospel music and adjust theirsong selection for the concert accordingly by receiving TDRs related tothe Data Subjects or related parties that are concert attendees.Similarly, in stores using video screens to display merchandise orspecial offers, store management could know in real time when they havea large presence of customers of a particular demographic in the storeby receiving and analyzing TDRs associated with Data Subjects or relatedparties that are customers from clients in mobile/wearable/portabledevices. The store could then play videos targeted to that particulardemographic, and change the videos throughout the day in response tochanges in the demographics of Data Subjects or related parties ascommunicated to the store system via clients in mobile/wearable/portabledevices. The demographics obtained from information in the TDRs mayinclude, but are not limited to, age, gender, or level income of DataSubjects or related parties. Similarly, in retail stores using real-timegeolocation to identify a given customer's specific location in thestore, special discounts or offers could be made to a customer that is aData Subject or related party via their mobile phone, tablet or wearabledevice by receiving and analyzing TDRs associated with the Data Subjector related party's personal tastes, brand preferences and product buyingpreferences, where such TDRs would also include exogenous informationadded in real-time based on the products available to that Data Subjector related party at the location in the store at which they are present.

In one example implementation of the invention, the abstraction moduleof the privacy server assigns DDIDs to attribute combinations necessaryto fulfill requests by and/or queries from privacy clients that mayreside in numerous locations including but not limited to on DataSubject devices, on service provider devices, accessible via and residein a cloud network, or reside on the same computing device as theprivacy server thereby creating TDRs for the period of the associationbetween the DDID and the desired attribute combinations. The TDR in aprivacy client may interact freely with a recipient entity for theconfigured time, action, activity, process or trait. Once a period ofinteraction with a designated recipient entity is completed, the privacyclient may in one example return the TDR augmented by attributecombinations pertinent to activity of the privacy client to the privacyservers and associated databases. The privacy server may then associatevarious attribute combinations back with particular Data Subjects, aswell as update and store the attribute combinations in the aggregateddata profile for the Data Subject in the secure database(s). At thistime, the DDID assigned to the attribute combinations may be re-assignedwith respect to other actions, activities, processes or traits, or DataSubjects to continue obfuscation of data relationships, in one example.

Other implementations of the invention are contemplated herein,including various systems and devices. In one embodiment, disclosedherein is a system for improving electronic data security. In oneexample, the system may include an abstraction module configured todynamically associate at least one attribute with at least one DataSubject; an abstraction module configured to generate DDIDs or accept ormodify temporally unique, dynamically changing values to serve as DDIDs,and further configured to associate DDID with the at least one DataSubject; a maintenance module configured to track activity related tothe DDIDs, and configured to associate any additional DDIDs, trackedactivity, and time periods during which a DDID is used for conductingthe tracked activity by means of time keys (TKs) or otherwise. In oneexample, the abstraction module is configured to add or deleteattributes associated with the at least one Data Subject, and theabstraction module may be configured to modify attributes alreadyassociated with the at least one Data Subject.

In another implementation, disclosed herein is a device for conductingsecure, private, anonymous activity over a network. In one example, thedevice may include a processor configured to execute program modules,wherein the program modules include at least a privacy client module; amemory connected to the processor; and a communication interface forreceiving data over a network; wherein the privacy client that mayreside on a Data Subject device, on a service provider device,accessible via and reside in a cloud network, or reside on the samecomputing device as the privacy server is configured to receive TDRsincluding DDIDs and associated data attributes necessary for conductingthe activity over the network from a privacy server. In one example, theprivacy client may be further configured to capture activity conductedusing the device, and to relate the conducted activity to the TDRs. Inanother example, the privacy client may be configured to transmit thecaptured activity and TDRs to the privacy server. The privacy client mayreside on a mobile device as a mobile application, in one example. Theprivacy client may reside in, and be accessible via, a network as acloud based application, in another example. The privacy client mayreside on the same computing device(s) on which the privacy server(s)resides as a local application, in another example.

In another example, the device may also include a geolocation module,wherein the TDRs are modified with information from the geolocationmodule, and wherein the TDRs restrict access to information regardingthe identity of the device. The device may also include a user interfaceconfigured to allow a user to modify the TDRs, including options tochange the DDID or data attributes associated with a particular TDR. Theuser interface may include selectable options for sharing the TDRs onlywith other network devices with a predetermined physical, virtual orlogical proximity to the mobile device.

In another example, the device may receive, in response to TDRs,targeted advertising or marketing information based on the physical,virtual, or logical location of the device; wherein the TDRs includedemographic information related to a user of the device, and furthercomprising receiving targeted advertising or marketing information basedon demographic information. In another example, the TDRs may includeinformation related to purchase transactions made or desired to be madeusing the device, and further comprising receiving targeted advertisingor marketing information based on previous or desired purchasetransactions.

In another implementation of the invention, disclosed herein is a systemfor providing electronic data privacy and anonymity. In one example, thesystem may include at least one user device having a first privacyclient operating on the user device; at least one service providerdevice having a second privacy client operating on the service providerdevice; and at least one privacy server coupled to the network, theprivacy server communicating with the first and second privacy clients;wherein the privacy server includes an abstraction module thatelectronically links Data Subjects to data attributes and attributecombinations and separates data into data attributes and attributecombinations, and the abstraction module associates a DDID with the dataattributes and attribute combinations. In one example, the privacyserver may include an authentication module that generates one or moreof said DDIDs. In another example, the privacy server may include amaintenance module that stores a combination of the DDIDs with theirassociated data attributes and attribute combinations. In anotherexample, the privacy server may include a verification module thatverifies the integrity of data attributes, attribute combinations, andDDIDs. In another example, the privacy server may include an access logmodule that collects and stores information relating to the DDIDs andthe data attributes for use in one or more post-incident forensicanalysis in the event of an error. In one example, the DDID expiresafter a predetermined time, and after expiration of the DDID, theabstraction module assigns the DDID to another data attribute or DataSubject.

FIG. 1B highlights some examples of how assignment, application,expiration and recycling of DDIDs may occur. It should be noted that, inthe context of potential implementations of embodiments of the presentinvention, DDIDs may exist forever but be reused for multiple DataSubjects, data attributes, attribute combinations, actions, activities,processes and/or traits. While a DDID may be reused, two of the sameDDIDs may not be used simultaneously unless so desired and authorized bythe controlling entity. Reassignment of DDIDs may be accomplished byutilizing existing capabilities of data collection and analysis toreassign DDIDs to similar attribute combinations or Data Subjects, or todistinctly different attribute combinations or Data Subjects. Thisreassignment enhances the privacy/anonymity and security viability ofthe dynamically created and changeable digital DDIDs.

As indicated in FIG. 1B, the system may be configured such that theassignment, expiration and/or recycling of any given DDID may occurbased on any one or more of the following factors: (1) change in thepurpose for which a DDID (and associated TDR) was created, e.g.,association with a specific browsing sessions, Data Subject,transaction, or other purpose; (2) change in the physical locationassociated with a DDID (and associated TDR), e.g., upon exiting aphysical location, upon arrival at a general physical location, uponarrival at a specific physical location, upon entering a physicallocation, or some other indicia of physical location; (3) change in thevirtual location associated with a DDID (and associated TDR), e.g., uponentering a virtual location, upon changing a virtual location, uponexiting a virtual location, upon arrival at a specific page on awebsite, upon arrival at a specific website, or some other indicia ofvirtual location; and/or (4) based on temporal changes, e.g., atrandomized times, at predetermined times, at designated intervals, orsome other temporally based criteria. As may be appreciated, DDIDsseparate data from context because, external to the system, there is nodiscernable relationship between Pertinent Data, the identity of a DataSubject or related party or Context Data associated with different DDIDsand/or TDRs. Internal to the system, relationship information ismaintained for use as authorized by Data Subjects and trustedparties/proxies.

FIG. 1C-1 represents the concept of a Circle of Trust (CoT) from theperspective of a trusted party or trusted proxy (indicated in FIG. 1C-1as “Trusted Proxy” and referred to herein as “Trusted Proxy” and/or“Trusted Party.”) Note first that the Data Subject is included on thediagram at the bottom left. Diagrams of most current data use systems donot include Data Subjects since participation by Data Subjects generallytakes the form of a binary decision whether to agree to“take-it-or-leave-it” online terms and conditions using the traditional“notice and consent” model. After that initial point, the Data Subjecttypically loses all power to affect what happens to their data since“they are the product, not the customer.” It is well acknowledged thatthis is a broken model for the digital age and provides few effectivelimitations on current or future use of data.

It should be noted that there may be more than one Trusted Party workingcooperatively in connection with a single Circle of Trust and that DataSubjects may be participants in any number of Circles of Trust. Circlesof Trust can be implemented by means of a centralized or federated modelfor increased security. Arrows in FIG. 2 represent data movement; datainputs and outputs will contain different information.

FIG. 1C-1 shows a data process flow for two potential embodiments of theinvention. In a first example embodiment of the invention, a user (1)may indicate that they are interested in using the system to create datainputs regarding a specific Data Subject, (in this example, the user isthe Data Subject) by forming one or more TDRs (each TDR may initially becomprised of a DDID intended to collect and retain data attributesassociated with activity involving the TDR or comprised of a DDIDtogether with data attributes or attribute combinations retrieved fromthe Data Subject's aggregated data profile) to participate, in thisexample embodiment, in the desired action of web browsing. Dataassociated with web browsing engaged in by the one or more TDR may betracked and collected by the system and transmitted to a controllingentity serving as a trusted party or trusted proxy (3). The TDRsreflecting the tracked data collected in connection with the webbrowsing would represent output from web browsing which the controllingentity serving as a trusted party may select to augment the aggregateddata profile of the user/Data Subject. In a second example embodiment ofthe invention, a user (2) may indicate that they are interested in usingthe system to create a privatized/anonymized version of a data set thatthe user has which contains personal information about Data Subjects(1). In this example, the data set of the user containing personalinformation about Data Subjects may serve as input to the system. Thesystem may identify and track the data values contained in the data setreflecting personal information and the processing performed by thecontrolling entity serving as a trusted party or trusted proxy (3) mayselect said personal information to be replaced with DDIDs that requireaccess to one or more Replacement Keys (RKs) to re-identify the personalinformation about Data Subjects. In this example, the resulting modifieddata set would represent output from the system containing dynamicallychanging DDIDs in lieu of personal information about Data Subjects. Inthis manner, the RKs could be altered in the future so that access topersonal information about any one or more Data Subject may no longer bere-identified so the applicable Data Subject(s) have the “right to beforgotten,” i.e., they can remove their digital traces from theInternet.

As shown in the boxes labeled “Privacy Policy” and “AuthorizationRequest” in FIG. 1C-1, data use may be managed by “Users” in accordancewith permissions (“PERMs”) managed by trusted parties and/or proxies.“Users” may be the Data Subjects themselves who are the subject of thedata in question (e.g., users, consumers, patients, etc. with respect totheir own data—for purposes hereof, “Subject Users”); and/or thirdparties who are not the subject of the data in question (e.g., vendors,merchants, healthcare providers, lawfully permitted governmentalentities, etc.—for purposes hereof, “Non Subject Users”).

PERMs relate to allowable operations such as what data can be used bywhom, for what purpose, what time period, etc. PERMS may also specifydesired anonymization levels such as when/where/how to use DDIDs in thecontext of providing anonymity for the identity and/or activities of aData Subject, when to use other privacy-enhancing techniques inconnection with, or in lieu of, DDIDs, when to provide identifyinginformation to facilitate transactions, etc.

In a Data Subject implementation of the present invention (e.g., DRMI),Subject Users may establish customized PERMS for use of their data bymeans of pre-set policies (e.g., Gold/Silver/Bronze—note that this isonly an example, and that mathematically, this could be a discrete setof k choices or it could be represented by a value on a continuumbetween a lower- and an upper-bound) that translate into fine-graineddynamic permissions or alternatively could select a “Custom” option tospecify more detailed dynamic parameters.

In a “stewardship” implementation of Dynamic Anonymity (DRMD), NonSubject Users may establish PERMs that enable data use/access incompliance with applicable corporate, legislative and/or regulatory datause/privacy/anonymity requirements.

Within the CoT reflected in FIG. 1C-1 based on PERMS, businessintelligence, data analysis and other processes may be performed bymeans of any combination or interpolation of I, D, T and/or X withregard to one or more Data Subjects, as shown in TABLE 3 below:

TABLE 3 “I” “D” “T” “X” Identifier Value of Assigned Time period ofPertinent Data for Data Dynamic association between during T SubjectDe-Identifier I and D

FIG. 1C-2 shows a Circle of Trust (CoT) from a Data Subject perspective.

FIG. 1D illustrates a smartphone application that can track bothgeolocation and blood pressure levels. Using Dynamic Anonymity, such adevice could split data into two streams, each obscured such that eitherstream, if intercepted and/or compromised (or even examined oncestored), would not reveal Personal Data (PD) without the addition ofcritical information protected within the CoT.

More particularly, FIG. 1D illustrates:

-   -   1. The blood pressure monitoring application (A) contacts a        Trusted Party within a Circle of Trust (B) requesting a DDID for        the Data Subject patient.    -   2. The CoT Trusted Party provides a DDID for the Data Subject.    -   3. An application operated by the Trusted Party sends back two        sets of periodically-changing information (one for GPS data, one        for blood pressure levels), each consisting of DDIDs, offsets        (to obscure blood pressure level data and geographic position),        and encryption keys; refreshed for each new time period. (These        are also stored to a database for later use.)    -   4. The monitor application transmits two encrypted and obscured        streams of data to a Dynamic Anonymity-controlled “proxy”        application or network appliance (C) within its corporate        network. (Here, both location and levels have a periodically        changing offset applied to them.)    -   5. The “proxy” (C) uses the streams of data (D & E) from the        Trusted Party (containing only decryption keys) to convert the        transmitted data into “plaintext.” The proxy also hides the        incoming IP address and provides stream(s) (containing multiple        Data Subjects' information) of DDIDs and obscured blood pressure        level data (F) or GPS locations (G) to the corresponding        databases (H) and (I).

At each point in FIG. 1D outside of the Circle of Trust (and outside thesmartphone itself) the patient's data is protected; no Personal Data(PD) is made available or ever produced.

-   -   Transmissions to and from the Trusted Party (1, 2) have no        privacy/anonymity—harming Personal Data, nor is any stored in        the Trusted Party's database.    -   Location and blood pressure levels (4) are transmitted        separately (intercepting any one stream reveals nothing), keyed        by DDIDs, and obscured so that even the data itself neither        reveals nor contains anything, directly or indirectly, about the        patient's true location or blood pressure levels.    -   The Dynamic Anonymity proxies (C) must be connected to the        Trusted Party in order to decrypt the data (preventing a        man-in-the-middle attack). Each merges multiple streams of data        together, after decryption, so that the originating IP address        cannot be associated with its decrypted data.    -   Once at rest, when residing in two separate databases (H and I),        the blood pressure levels and location data each have different        sets of DDIDs, so that even the hosting company cannot draw any        association between the two, much less link each set of data to        the Data Subject who produced it.

FIG. 1E illustrates use of one embodiment of the invention to assist inthe task of choosing a location for a new clinic to serve patients whoare 20 to 30 years old with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). One“cleansed” data set may show the incidence of STDs, aggregated byneighborhood to protect privacy/anonymity. Another data set may show howmany patients reside in each neighborhood. But, even when these areaggregated, one cannot know exactly how many identified cases of STDsfall into particular age ranges.

Dynamic Anonymity alleviates this dilemma by supporting two differentmodes of analysis.

In cases where data must be exposed externally (that is, outside theCoT), Personal Data elements can be obscured or encoded as DDIDs, withthe resulting associations stored inside the CoT. Additionally, whenrequired, the data (or field) type identifiers can also be obscured in asimilar manner.

Later, after analysis is performed, the results of that analysis canthen (when permitted) be associated back with the original DataSubjects, field types, and values.

Another way Dynamic Anonymity enables lossless analysis is through theuse of federated, anonymized queries, either among different TrustedParties within a CoT, different data stores within the same TrustedParty, or between Trusted Parties and application developers whose datastores reside outside the CoT.

Consider again the problem of choosing where to site a clinic to servepatients who are between 20 and 30 years old with STDs. The DynamicAnonymity system improves upon existing techniques by allowing thetarget query to span multiple data stores and dividing it up such thateach participant does not know what purpose it serves, so there is norisk of divulging PD.

In this scenario, the query for the number of patients who are 20-30years old with STDs within a set of (sufficiently large) geographicareas is presented to numerous Trusted Parties within the Circle ofTrust. This aggregate query is then broken down into several steps, suchas:

-   -   1. Find patients between 20-30 years of age in some broad        geographic area.    -   2. Select only those with STDs.    -   3. Select only those whose privacy/anonymity policies allow this        level of analysis.    -   4. “Join” those results to the home addresses of those patients.    -   5. Aggregate these results by neighborhood, revealing only        counts of patients.

The actions needed to satisfy this query could span completely differentdata stores, in different organizations—nonetheless protected andfacilitated by the Circle of Trust.

FIG. 1E shows the following processes:

-   -   1. The prospective clinic owners send a query to a Trusted        Party, asking to find individuals who are between 20-30 years        old with STDs.    -   2. The Trusted Party contacts healthcare-related data stores to        find individuals who are between 20-30 years old with STDs.    -   3. The healthcare-related data stores (which store diagnoses by        DDIDs rather than by identifiable keys) find matching records.    -   4. Matching DDIDs are then transmitted back to the Trusted        Party.    -   5. The Trusted Party then resolves these DDIDs to unveil        identified individuals.    -   6. The Trusted Party filters that list by those whose        privacy/anonymity policies allow this particular kind of query.    -   7. The CoT then uses a database of their addresses to aggregate        counts (or incidence frequency, if the query is incomplete) by        neighborhood, producing the desired result.

In this scenario, companies operating healthcare-related databases donot need to know (or divulge) the identity, location, or otherpotentially identifiable information of the patients whose data theypossess. The records they possess are keyed by DDID, and alsopotentially obscured, so that no Personal Data is generated whenperforming the specified query, nor when transmitting results.

Note that the party posing the query does not have access to thisinformation. Their only interaction with the CoT consists of posing aquestion and receiving a high-level, aggregated, non-PD result. Notethat not having access to this information in no way affects thequality, accuracy or precision of the end result. Dynamic Anonymity thuseliminates Personal Data that contributes nothing to the end result andthat only serves to weaken privacy/anonymity without any attendantbenefit to any other party. By filtering out irrelevant data, theanalysis of which would otherwise consume time and resources, DynamicAnonymity actually increases the utility and value of the informationreceived.

Personal Data is only produced temporarily, within the Circle of Trustmanaged by the Trusted Party (the appropriate place for suchinformation)—such as when the DDIDs are resolved. Such operations aretransient and leave no lasting trace other than the intended queryresult, and could also be confined to certain dedicated servers forincreased security. The use of DDIDs in the context of Circles of Trustavoids potential shortcomings of normal data analytics that couldgenerate discriminatory or even identifiable results.

FIG. 1F illustrates use of one embodiment of the present invention toenable a shoe manufacturer to send a coupon for a new line of shoes topeople who have recently performed web searches related to the sport ofrunning within a certain city. In exchange for offering discounts on theshoes, the manufacturer wishes to receive qualified consumers' emailand/or home addresses, and to send those who redeem the coupon a surveyto assess their satisfaction with the new shoe.

Explanation:

-   -   1. The manufacturer, outside the CoT, purchases a list of        matching DDIDs from a search engine.    -   2. The DDIDs are submitted to one or more Trusted Parties,        accompanied by an offer letter and a policy modification        allowing access (upon acceptance) to Data Subjects' email and/or        home addresses.    -   3. Each Trusted Party then forwards the offer letter to the Data        Subjects matching those DDIDs (provided they have opted-in to        receiving such an offer).    -   4. If a Data Subject recipient accepts the offer, the        recipient's policy is updated with (perhaps temporally-limited)        permission for exposing their home and/or e-mail addresses to        the shoe company.    -   5. The shoe manufacturer, now part of the CoT, but only with        respect to this specific offer and only in the most limited        sense, then receives a list of e-mail and home addresses of        those who wish to receive the coupons. Note that this list is        necessarily highly targeted and accurate and therefore of        maximum value to the shoe manufacturer. This is precisely how        the CoT, by increasing privacy/anonymity, also increases value.        The shoe manufacturer may be assured that all mailings done this        way will be sent to those with substantial interest in the        manufacturers' offer.

FIG. 1G builds upon the prior example in FIG. 1D where a GPS-enabledblood pressure monitor securely stored patients' locations and bloodpressure levels via Dynamic Anonymity. Dynamic Anonymity may beleveraged to:

-   -   1. Avoid imposition of HIPAA data handling obligations on        business associates involved in data processing flows if data in        their possession does not constitute Personal Data (PD).    -   2. Ensure that access to, and use of the data, by the physician        satisfies HIPAA obligations.

Note that the following scenario assumes that both a Data Subjectpatient and his/her physician have accounts inside the Circle of Trust.

Explanation:

-   -   1. The monitoring application cooperates with the patient's        Trusted Party to allow the patient to update his/her        privacy/anonymity policy rules so that his/her physician can now        access his/her blood pressure levels (but not his/her GPS        location data). Note that this grant can be temporary (analogous        to the temporally limited nature of photographs that can be        shared with Snapchat—the grant expires after a period of        time)—or ongoing.    -   2. The physician (via his/her web browser) browses to the blood        pressure monitor's web site, which launches a JavaScript-based        blood pressure level viewer application which thus runs in the        physician's browser, and not on the monitor company's servers        (i.e., that the stitching together of data necessary to make it        personally identifiable is done via the Trusted Party server        which is itself trusted—see steps 4 and 5 below).    -   3. The blood pressure-level viewing application asks the        physician to log in via her Trusted Party (similar to the way        many applications allow you to authenticate using a FACEBOOK® or        GOOGLE® account), and receives a session cookie that continues        to identify them to that party. (FACEBOOK® is a trademark of        Facebook, Inc.)    -   4. After the physician selects a range of time to view, the        viewer application requests the relevant DDIDs and offsets from        the Trusted Party, for that patient.    -   5. The Trusted Party validates the physician's access to this        information (checking the patient's privacy/anonymity policy        rules) and then returns the DDIDs and offsets.    -   6. The viewer application then contacts its own corporate        website, requests the blood pressure data corresponding to those        DDIDs, receives the result, applies the offsets, and renders the        blood pressure levels as a graph.

At this point, the image on the physician's screen is HIPAA-protectedPHI data. If the physician prints the data, that paper will be subjectto HIPAA. When the physician is done viewing the graph, he/she logs outor closes the browser, the application ends, and the data is erased.

Note that re-identified HIPAA-controlled data only resides in thephysician's browser. The original blood pressure level data stored inthe application provider's databases remains untouched and obscured. TheTrusted Party's data remains unaffected as well.

Also note that the permission to view the blood pressure data isenforced within the Circle of Trust. It is not enforced (as is commonpractice today) merely by the viewer application—or only by theapplication's backend servers. This means that an adversary could notgain unauthorized access to the data merely by hacking into the bloodpressure level viewer application, because the data would not be therein any usable or identifiable form. The dynamic data obscuringcapabilities of Dynamic Anonymity DDIDs combined with the dynamic dataprivacy/anonymity control capabilities of a “Circle of Trust,” maximizeboth data privacy/anonymity and value to support personalizedmedicine/medical research.

With respect to FIG. 1H, the different nodes depicted in 1H-A representdata elements related to two different Data Subjects that are capable ofbeing tracked, profiled and/or analyzed by third parties because theycan be associated with, and/or re-identified for, each of the DataSubjects. 1H-B represents a simplified visual depiction of the same dataelements that can be retained with Dynamic Anonymity without loss ofcontext. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is afederal privacy statute that regulates access to and disclosure of astudent's educational records that disclose personally identifiableinformation (PII). FERPA provides that PII cannot be disclosed, however,if PII is removed from a record, then the student becomes anonymous,privacy is protected, and the resulting de-identified data can bedisclosed. In addition to statutorily defined categories (e.g., name,address, social security number, mother's maiden name, etc.), FERPAdefines PII to also include “ . . . other information that, alone or incombination, is linked or linkable to a specific student that wouldallow a reasonable person in the school community, who does not havepersonal knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to identify thestudent with reasonable certainty.” The ability of Dynamic Anonymity toobfuscate connections between each of the Data Subjects and the dataelements in a controlled manner by means of an Anonos-enabled Circle ofTrust (CoT), as visually depicted in 1H-B, enables educational-relateddata to be used without disclosing PII.

FIG. 1I shows an example of a process to perform Disassociation LevelDetermination (DLD) and create an Anonymity Measurement Score (AMS), inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention. Determining DLDs mayentail undertaking a mathematical and/or empirical analysis of theuniqueness of a data element prior to Disassociation to assess the levelof Disassociation required to reduce the probability of identificationor re-association by adversaries without proper permission. DLD valuesmay be used as input to determine the relevant level ofDisassociation/Replacement appropriate for different types of dataelements.

AMS may be used to correlate mathematically derived levels of certaintypertaining to the likelihood that personally sensitive and/oridentifying information may be discernible by third parties to tieredlevels and/or categories of anonymity. In other words, AMS values may beused to evaluate the output from Disassociation/Replacement activitiesto determine the level/type of consent required before data can be used.

In Step (1) of FIG. 1I, data attributes may be evaluated to assess DLDs,i.e., data elements are analyzed to determine the potential likelihoodof directly or indirectly revealing personal, sensitive, identifying orother information with regard to which anonymity protection is desired.In Step (2), based at least in part on the determined DLDs, the dataelements may be dynamically anonymized by means of Disassociation. Inaddition, data elements may also undergo Replacement. In Step (3), acalculation may be performed, e.g., by means of a mathematicalfunction/algorithm (e.g., the mathematical function/algorithm whoseoutput is reflected in FIG. 1J) to calculate an AMS that correlates tothe likelihood that the identity of the Data Subject to which said dataattributes pertain may be discernible by third parties afterDisassociation/Replacement with DDIDs. Finally, in Step (4), thescore/rating calculated in Step (3) above may be used to specify thelevel of consent/involvement required by the Data Subject to which theanonymized data attributes pertain versus what level of discretion/use athird party may exercise with regard to the anonymized data attributeswithout requiring consent/involvement by the Data Subject, such as isshown in the example AMS usage reflected in FIG. 1K below.

Different categories of information hold different statisticallikelihoods of being re-identifiable. Every data element has associatedwith it with an inherent level of uniqueness as well as a level ofuniqueness when combined with other pieces of data as determined byplacement, order and/or frequency of occurrence. For instance looking atsingle data points, a social security number is highly unique andtherefore more easily re-identifiable than a single data point such assex, since each person has an approximate 1:1 probability of being maleor female. Since gender is less unique as an identifier than a socialsecurity number, gender is significantly less likely on an independentbasis to re-identify someone than a social security number.

The Anonymity Measurement Score (AMS) measurement schema tiesstatistical probabilities of re-identification to create multipleratings depending on the level and degree of disassociation and/orreplacement applied to data elements. As a single data point example, asocial security number, which has not been disassociated or replaced atall, may merit an AMS rating of 100 meaning the uniqueness classifies itas a very high risk of re-identification. Whereas sex as a single datapoint identifier without disassociation or replacement may merit an AMSscore of 10 since it is classified at a low risk of re-identificationeven without de-identification measures in place.

In an example implementation with a social security number as a singulardata point, a Level 1 implementation could assign DDIDs for purposes ofdisassociation and/or replacement while retaining the initially assignedvalue—i.e. permanent assignment (e.g., where data is used as output inhard copy representations of the data). In the case of a social securitynumber, a Level 1 application of DDIDs could reduce the AMS score by 10%and result in a modified AMS score of 90. This is still a high level ofrisk associated with re-identification but is more secure thannon-disassociated and/or replaced elements.

In an example Level 2 implementation, the social security number couldhave DDIDs assigned for purposes of disassociation and/or replacementwhile retaining the initially assigned value until the value is changedon a one-directional basis—i.e. ad hoc changeability (e.g., where datavalues can be changed unilaterally by sending new information to remotecards, mobile, wearable and/or other portable devices that include meansof electronically receiving and storing information). The socialsecurity number AMS score could thereby be reduced another 10% toachieve an AMS score of AMS.

In this example, continuing to a Level 3 implementation, it could haveDDIDs assigned for purposes of disassociation and/or replacement whiledretaining the initially assigned value but the DDIDs could change on abi-directional basis, i.e. dynamic changeability (e.g., where datavalues can be changed bilaterally by sending and/or receiving datadynamically between client/server and/or cloud/enterprise devices withthe ability to receive and change specified data dynamically). Thesocial security number would then have an AMS score that is furtherreduced by 50% resulting in an AMS score of 40.5.

As de-identification measures are applied to a data point throughdisassociation and/or replacement via use of DDIDs, the risk ofre-identification is lowered. AMS score determinations are derived fromthe function of the likelihood of an identifier or identifiers takentogether to be re-identifiable. This, combined with the processes usedto obfuscate data elements can then be separated into categorical orother types of classification schemas to determine various functionssuch as permitted uses and what level of permission entities need tohave before using data. This process may also be applied to single oraggregated AMS scores. Aggregated AMS scores are the likelihood of multidata point re-identification expressed through AMS scores as compoundedtogether to express the level of uniqueness of combined data points.

As an example of a possible categorical classification schema, the AMSscore could be broken into Categories A, B and C. Where category A isdata with a single or aggregated score of 75 or more may be used onlywith current, express and unambiguous consent of the Data Subject.Category B may represent a single or aggregated AMS score of 40 to 74.9that would mean the data set could be used with (i) current or (ii)prior express consent of the Data Subject. A Category C could representa single or aggregated AMS score of 39.9 or lower which could allow foruse of the data set without requiring consent of the Data Subject.

In the example disclosed in FIG. 1J, each of the identifiers other thanthe Social Security Number discussed above (i.e., Credit Card Number,First Name, Last Name, Birthdate, Age and Sex) are similarly assigned aNon-Disassociated/Replaced AMS rating in the first column. In each ofthe next two subsequent columns (i.e., Level 1 and Level 2) their AMSscores are adjusted by successive 10% reductions, and in the lastcolumns (i.e., Level 3) their AMS scores are adjusted by a 50%reduction, resulting in decreasing AMS scores as DDID-enabledobfuscation increases by means of permanent assignment (Level 1), ad hocchangeability (Level 2) and dynamic changeability (Level 3).

As mentioned above, FIG. 1J illustrates exemplary calculated AnonymityMeasurement Scores, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.These AMSs are for illustration purposes only and demonstrate the factthat certain types of potentially personally-identifying information ismore likely to reveal a Data Subject's true identity than other types ofinformation, and that additional levels of Disassociation/Replacement,e.g., ad hoc (i.e., Level 2) and/or variable changeability (i.e., Level3), may increase the amount of anonymity afforded to the Data Subject bythe anonymization systems and scheme.

As mentioned above, FIG. 1K illustrates exemplary categories for thelevel of consent/involvement required by the Data Subject for certaincalculated Anonymity Measurement Scores, in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. These categorizations are given forillustration purposes only and demonstrate the fact that certainaggregated scores may apply different categories of treatment. Forexample, Category A data may be used only with current, express, andunambiguous consent of the Data Subject; while Category B data may beused with current or prior express consent of the Data Subject; andCategory C data may be used without requiring consent of the DataSubject. Other schemes may be employed to meet the needs of a particularimplementation.

FIG. 1L shows an example embodiment of the present invention using DDIDsfor emergency response purposes. In Step (1) of FIG. 1L, data attributesare evaluated to determine applicable emergency responsedistinctions—e.g., whether a house is located in a flood plain, whetheran individual is in immobile or in need of particular life savingequipment or medical care. In Step (2), applicable data elements aredynamically anonymized by a trusted party by means of disassociationand/or replacement using DDIDs to protect the privacy/anonymity ofcitizens and the obfuscated information is sent to a DDID-obfuscatedemergency response database. In Step (3), information is evaluated bythe trusted party to determine data elements relevant to respond to aspecific emergency. Finally, in Step (4), the trusted party provides tothe obfuscated emergency response database association keys (AKs) and/orreplacement keys (RKs) necessary to reveal desired information otherwiserepresented by DDIDs for the duration of the emergency event andassociated response.

In the example embodiment reflected in FIG. 1L, data is resident in anemergency response database in a dynamic DDID obfuscated state such thatidentifying information is not discernable or re-identifiable until suchtime as necessary association keys (AKs) and/or replacement keys (RKs)are provided when an appropriate triggering incident occurs. Atriggering operation carried out by a trusted party would issue timesensitive AKs/RKs with respect to portions of appropriate data atspecified levels of obfuscation or transparency depending on the type ofincident. Identifying information could be maintained inside theemergency response database but in a dynamic DDID obfuscated state; adata mapping engine controlled by a trusted party would maintaincorrelative information pertaining to dynamically changing DDIDs andAKs/RKs necessary to discern and/or re-identify data which would only beprovided upon the event of an appropriate emergency incident.

Policy external to the system would determine which information may berelevant for different incidents and stages of incidents, as well aswhat level of obfuscation/transparency is appropriate at different timesso not all information would released at once and so that irrelevant butsensitive information would not released without cause. Thesepermissions would then be encoded for ease of triggering access in anemergency. This method allows for bidirectional communication with, andverification of the locations of, impacted individuals compare tocapabilities of static lists or unidirectional communication.

AKs/RKs would be changed and reintroduced to the emergency responsedatabase after each incident so that information would be maintained onan ongoing electronic basis in a DDID obfuscated state, i.e., a newtrigger would be required to make portions of data readable via newAKs/RKs following a prior release of AKs/RKs in response to an earlierincident (i.e., following resolution of an emergency response incident,AKs/RKs previously provided would no longer reveal the underlyingidentifying information associated with dynamically changing DDIDs. Thiswould protect the privacy/anonymity of individual citizens whileprotecting their safety in major incidents by allowing appropriateaccess to data for a limited period of time. On the emergency managementside, this could reduce the need for resource intensive informationintake and handling procedures employed during large incidents.

Additionally, new data pertaining to individuals could be added duringincidents, such as ‘accounted for’ or ‘missing’ status designationduring evacuation. This new input could become part of an individual'spersonal profile held in stasis by an embodiment of the presentinvention and maintained for future authorized use if helpful in thesame, or subsequent emergency.

In a local opt-in example, citizens could register to have informationthat would be relevant in an emergency stored in a DDID obfuscatedemergency database. The emergency database could be stored locally orelsewhere but could be interoperable in case of cross-jurisdictionalincidents. Once the citizen data is input into the DDID obfuscatedsystem, no one could see or access the data in a discernable orre-identifiable manner until a trigger mechanism controlled by a trustedparty results in release of dynamic, situational based AKs/RKs asnecessary to discern/re-identify appropriate components of the storeddata.

Two examples of emergency management views of potential embodiments ofthe present invention could include:

-   -   1. Interactive screen(s) could present overlays that allow        Geographic Information System (GIS) and other data to be imposed        or correlated to location specific data—i.e. clicking on a house        may show information that has been submitted by a citizen as        well as information that a jurisdictional authority has on the        subject property as well as associated disaster risks. For        instance, flood alerts are a great example of a notification        that could provide different amounts of information on different        people depending on their specific location. A general flood        warning may go out to an entire area but a specifically targeted        warning may be sent to those directly in the flood plain who are        at greater risk for flooding.    -   2. More traditional formats, such as electronic tables, etc.        could be augmented to provide non-geographic data.

The above two variations in format could be interoperable as well withthe data from each being represented in the other either interactivelyor linked.

In the case of watches and warnings, the locality of the weatherphenomenon (as determined via weather radars, GIS mapping, etc.) willdetermine the subset of information released, which may be furtherrevealed inside the database.

In another example case, there may be a criminal who is profiling aparticular demographic as targets. In this situation, DDIDs such ascontact and demographic information would be relevant—in addition topartially obfuscated location data—in order to create general perimeterson the message send out. The relevant data fields and their DDIDs wouldbe activated to point to individuals matching the demographic, who maythen be put on notice of the criminal activity.

In an emergency situation that requires evacuation, this informationcould be triggered to assist emergency personnel in more effectiveresource deployment in addition to assisting in evacuation oridentifying those who may need additional assistance in emergencysituations. In another example, such as a blizzard, the system could betriggered to let emergency personnel know exactly where kidney dialysispatients are located in their city for emergency transportation viasnowplow by means of GPS location information associated with mobiledevices associated with the patients—which information would berepresented by indiscernible/non re-identifiable DDIDs until such timeas a trigger event results in the release applicable AKs/RKs reflectingappropriate correlative information.

FIG. 2 shows an example of process operations or steps that may be takenby the abstraction module of the privacy server, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. In one example, at step 1 a relatedparty ZZ (shown as “RP ZZ”) sends a request via a privacy client thatmay reside on a Data Subject device, on a service provider device,accessible via and reside in a cloud network, or reside on the samecomputing device as the privacy server to the privacy server withrespect to a desired action, activity, process or trait. The requestinitiation may be configurable so that it is predictable, random,automatically or manually initiated. For instance, related party RP ZZinitiates a request for a desired online action of web browsing.

At step 2, in one example the abstraction module of the privacy serverdetermines the attribute combinations necessary to perform with respectto a desired action, activity, process or trait and retrieves them fromthe database as attribute combination A (“AC A”). In this exampleimplementation of the system, the abstraction module of the privacyserver is configured to add or delete attributes, retrieve attributecombinations, and to modify attributes within any given combination.

In an example involving an ecommerce site selling sports equipment, theabstraction module of the privacy server may determine that attributespertaining to a Data Subject's height, weight and budget are necessaryto perform with respect to a desired action, activity, process or traitand therefore may retrieve the attributes of height, weight and budgetfor the specified Data Subject from the database to form an attributecombination comprised thereof. In another example involving a physicianrequesting blood pressure information, the abstraction module of theprivacy server may determine that attributes comprised of the mostrecently recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure values arenecessary to perform with respect to a desired action, activity, processor trait and therefore may retrieve the most recently recorded systolicand diastolic blood pressure values for the specified Data Subject toform an attribute combination comprised thereof. Another example mayinvolve an Internet user that goes to an online retailer of runningshoes. The online retailer may not know who the user is or even if theuser has visited the site one or more times in the past. The user maywant the visited site to know he has been shopping for running shoes andmay want the visited site to know what shoes the user has looked at overthe last few weeks on other sites. The user may notify the privacyserver to release only the recent shopping and other user definedinformation to the visited site. As a result in this example, theprivacy server may select the following attributes: shoe size=9, shoesrecently viewed at other websites=Nike X, Asics Y, New Balance Z,average price of the shoes viewed=$109, zip code of the shopper=80302,gender of the shopper=male, weight of the shopper=185 lbs. The privacyserver may collect these attributes, generate a unique DDID or accept ormodify a temporally unique, dynamically changing value to serve as theDDID and assign the DDID to the attributes and send the same to thevisited website as a TDR. If the user views a Saucony model 123, thewebsite may append this attribute to the information pertaining to theattributes related to shoes viewed and send this information back to theprivacy server as part of the augmented TDR.

Yet another example may involve a personal banker at a bank who isworking with a client who wants to add a savings account to the accountsshe otherwise holds with the bank. The personal banker may not need toknow all information about the client, just the information necessary toopen up the account. Using the present invention the banker may querythe bank's privacy server via a privacy client to request opening up anew savings account for the customer. The bank's privacy server maydetermine the data authorization limits for the requester and for thedesired action. The bank's privacy server may collect the followingattributes on the customer: name=Jane Doe, current accountnumber=12345678, type of current account=checking, address of thecustomer=123 Main Street, Boulder, Colo. 80302, other signatories on thechecking account=Bill Doe, relationship of signatory tocustomer=husband. After the bank's privacy server collects theseattributes, it assigns a DDID for these attributes and sends theinformation to the personal banker via a privacy client as an augmentedTDR.

The controlling entity could elect, in one example, to include dataattributes in attribute combination A that enable recipients of the TDRto use existing tracking technology to track related party ZZanonymously for the duration of existence of the resulting TDR. Thecontrolling entity may also elect to include data that is more accuratethan that available via existing tracking technologies to facilitatepersonalization and customization of offerings for related party ZZ.

At step 3, in one example, a request is made of the privacy server(“PS”) for a DDID. This may include a request for specified levels ofabstraction, and for the generation of a unique DDID or acceptance ormodification of a temporally unique, dynamically changing value to serveas the DDID to be used in the system corresponding with respect to aparticular activity, action, process or trait requested. Beforeassigning the DDID, the PS may verify that the DDID value is notactively being used by another TDR, potentially including a bufferperiod to address potential outages and system down time.

At step 4, in one example the abstraction module of the PS assigns andstores the DDID in response to requests with respect to actions,activities, processes or traits. Step 4 may also include in one examplethe operation of assigning a DDID X for the web browsing requested byrelated party ZZ.

At step 5, in one example the abstraction module of the PS combines theretrieved applicable attribute combination and assigns DDID X to createthe TDR. The TDR itself may not include information about the realidentify of related party ZZ, but the maintenance module of the privacyserver may retain information necessary to re-associate the TDR withrelated party ZZ. Operation 5 may also include the secure database(s)associating the attribute combination request with the Data Subjectassociated with the attribute combination, thereby providing an internalrecord in the aggregated data profile for the Data Subject associatingrelated party ZZ with particular attribute combination A that are deemednecessary to perform with respect to a desired action, activity, processor trait.

FIG. 3 shows examples of additional steps that may be taken by theabstraction module of the privacy server, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. At step 6, in one example the TDRcreated for related party ZZ's web browsing request is transmitted viathe privacy client that may reside on a Data Subject device, on aservice provider device, accessible via and reside in a cloud network,or reside on the same computing device as the privacy server to theapplicable service provider, vendor, or merchant. The privacy client mayalso capture data associated with the desired browsing activity with theservice provider, vendor or merchant.

Once the TDR's purpose is served or a predetermined temporal limitationis reached, in one example the TDR may be sent via the privacy clientback to the privacy server, at step 7, the TDR that comes back may beaugmented with new attribute combinations with respect to a desiredaction, activity, process or trait for which the TDR was created. In theexample shown in FIG. 3, related party ZZ performs the desired webbrowsing in connection with the service provider, merchant or vendor,and attribute combination Q (“AC Q”) is generated that reflectsattribute combinations associated with the desired web browsingperformed. When the web browsing is complete, or when the temporallimitations of the TDR expire, the privacy client with the TDR, nowaugmented with attribute combination Q reflecting data associated withthe web browsing, transmits data from the service provider, vendor ormerchant to the privacy server. When the data is received back at theprivacy server, a time period/stamp is associated with the TDR in oneexample by means of time keys (TKs) or otherwise, and the relevantattribute combinations returned from the service provider, vendor, ormerchant may be updated and stored in the secure database(s) in theaggregated data profile for the Data Subject.

FIG. 4 shows an example of additional steps that may be taken followingthe operations of FIG. 3, according to one example of an embodiment ofthe present invention. As each augmented TDR is received back by theprivacy server, the maintenance module of the privacy server may updatethe source data by associating the time period/stamp by means of timekeys (TKs) or otherwise, DDID, and attribute combinations with theapplicable Data Subject. As shown in the example of FIG. 4, the privacyserver may record and associate the time period/stamp by means of timekeys (TKs) or otherwise, DDID, attribute combination A, and attributecombination Q with requesting related party ZZ within the securedatabase. Relationship information between and among timeperiods/stamps, DDIDs, attribute combinations, Data Subjects andassociated profiles may be stored, updated or deleted as applicable inthe maintenance module of the privacy server. This may include, in oneexample, storing or updating all relationship information between alltime periods/stamps, DDIDs, attribute combinations, Data Subjects, andprofiles within the secure database(s) in the aggregated data profilefor the Data Subject. Upon completion of the association of new datawith regard to the desired action, activity, process or trait from theattribute combinations, in one example the DDID may then be reassignedfor use with new TDRs in the same fashion as described above.

FIG. 5 highlights differences between an example single layerabstraction implementation of a system, as compared to an examplemulti-layer abstraction implementation of a system, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. Example 1 illustrated in FIG. 5shows an example of a system with a single layer of abstraction, such asdescribed above in the discussion of FIGS. 2-4 with respect to a webbrowsing activity. Example 1 in FIG. 5 shows an example of a finaldisposition resulting from the web browsing activity of FIGS. 2-4, wherethe secure database is updated with a record associating a timeperiod/stamp by means of time keys (TKs) or otherwise, attributecombination A, attribute combination Q, and DDID X associated withrequesting related party ZZ. It should be noted that with respect toExample 1, parties outside of the system would not have access toidentifying information pertaining to attribute combinations or DataSubjects. However, within the system, though the user of a replacementkey (RK) described herein, the identity of related party ZZ would bediscernible in one example, as would the relationship between relatedparty ZZ, attribute combination A, attribute combination Q, the timeperiod/stamp and DDID X.

Example 2 in FIG. 5 reflects one potential implementation of amulti-layer abstraction implementation of a system, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. The abstraction provided is afunction of multiple applications of the system, rather than of whollydifferent pieces. The dynamic nature of the TDRs allows for the samebaseline principles to be used among the levels of abstraction whilestill providing useable interaction with regard to data as requested. Inthis example, an entity with authorized access to privacy server A andassociated secure database would have access to the associations betweenDDID X, DDID P, DDID TS and DDID YY, as well as each of the attributecombinations and time periods/stamps associated with the DDIDs. However,the entity would not have access in one example to any informationconcerning associations between the different DDIDs disclosed. Only upongaining access to privacy server B and associated secure database wouldthe second level of abstraction be revealed pertaining to therelationship between DDID X and DDID and between DDID TS and DDID YY. Asshown in FIG. 5, this second level of abstraction could be therelationship of Subject DD to DDIDs X and P, and the relationship ofSubject CV to DDIDs TS and YY.

In the event that Subject CV and Subject DD reflect the identity of DataSubjects in question, Example 2 would reflect one potentialimplementation of a two-layer abstraction implementation of the system.However, if the values for Subject CV and Subject DD were each assigneddynamically changeable DDIDs, then Example 2 would reflect one potentialimplementation of a three-layer abstraction implementation of thesystem. It should be appreciated that any and all of the elements of thesystem can be abstracted on multiple levels in order to achieve desiredlevels of security and privacy/anonymity.

In one example implementation of the system, both Example 1 and Example2 in FIG. 5 may represent an authenticated data structure that permitsthe verification module of the privacy server to validate and verifyattribute combinations and DDIDs embodied in a TDR and/or data profileat any point in time by methodologies such as cyclic redundancy checks(“CRCs”), message authentication codes, digital watermarking andlinking-based time-stamping methodologies. These methodologies enableverification of the state and composition of data at various points oftime by confirming the composition of each Data Subject, attribute,attribute combination, aggregated data profile and other elementscontained in the privacy server at different points in time.

In addition, in one example implementation of an embodiment of thepresent invention, both Example 1 and Example 2 in FIG. 5 may includedata necessary for the access log module to enable post-incidentforensic analysis in the event of system related errors or misuse.

FIG. 6 shows one example of a process for providing data security anddata privacy/anonymity, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 6 shows process steps that may be implemented by acontrolling party or a system, in one example. The operations outlinedin FIGS. 6-10 may be facilitated by means of known programmingtechniques including but not limited to Simple Object Access Protocol(SOAP), Representational State Transfer (REST) Application ProgrammingInterfaces (APIs) or Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) techniques aswell as canonical industry standard data models such as HL7 forhealthcare, SID for telecom, ARTS for retail, ACORD for insurance, M3for multi-commodity models, OAGIS for manufacturing and supply chains;PPDM for oil & gas/utilities, and the like.

At step 1 in FIG. 6, a data attribute is received or created as input tothe system. As noted previously for purposes of this disclosure, a dataattribute refers to any data element that can be used, independently orin combination with other data elements, to identify a Data Subject,such as a person, place or thing, or associated actions, activities,processes or traits. One example of a data attribute may be the streetaddress comprised of 1777 6th Street, Boulder, Colo. 80302.

At step 2 of FIG. 6, the data attribute is associated with theapplicable subject. In the above example, the data attribute address isassociated with the subject Colorado Municipal Court Building.

At step 3 of FIG. 6, the elements associated with each data attributeare linked to or binded with the data attribute and determinations aremade comprising applicable category(s); value(s) and classification(s)pertaining to attributes to facilitate use of the attributes withrespect to desired actions, activities, processes or traits. Forexample, elements associated with the above data attribute address maybe: (a) categorized as a street address; (b) with values of: 1; 7; 7; 7;6th; S; t; r; e; e; t; B; o; u; l; d; e; r; C; o; l; o; r; a; d; o; 8;0; 3; 0; 2; 1777; 6th Street; Boulder; Colorado; 80302 or anycombination of the foregoing; and (c) classified as constant in naturesince the building is stationary. Another example of a data attributepertaining to the subject building may be the condition of the building(a) categorized as the condition of the building; (b) with a value ofgood condition; and (c) classified as variable in nature since thecondition of the building may improve of degenerate over time. Anotherexample of a data attribute pertaining to the subject building may be(a) categorized as organizations having offices located in the building;(b) with a value of Boulder Colo. Alternative Sentencing Program (CASP);and (c) classified as variable in nature since CASP may in the futurechange the location of their office. It should be noted that exogenousinformation may comprise attributes associated with a Data Subject. Forexample, in the case of the building identified above, if someone knowsthat Boulder Colo. Alternative Sentencing Program (CASP) has offices atthe Colorado Municipal Court Building and discovers that John Smithworks at CASP and that on weekdays John Smith shows up at 1777 6thStreet in Boulder, that original person may use this exogenousinformation to discern the address of the Colorado Municipal CourtBuilding in Boulder. Thus the fact that John Smith works at CASP may bean attribute of the Data Subject, potentially revealing the DataSubject, i.e., the building at the address.

At step 4 in FIG. 6, each of the data attributes input into the systemare added to an aggregated data profile (see, e.g., FIGS. 1 and 1A) forthe Data Subject. In the above example, the noted data attributes wouldbe added to the aggregated data profile for the Colorado Municipal CourtBuilding.

At step 5, attribute combinations are identified and formed so as toprovide support with respect to a desired activity, action, process ortrait. This step may include the creation or loading of templates thatspecify the one or more attributes necessary with respect to aparticular action, activity, process or trait. For example, for ane-commerce action, the template may request information pertaining tothe Data Subject's age, sex, size and preferred color(s) as attributes.In another example involving a travel reservation function, the templatemay request information pertaining to the Data Subject's preferred meansof air travel by coach, business class or first class as attributes. Theprivacy server may be loaded with or have access to a plurality of suchtemplates in order to support a wide variety of differing actions,activities, processes and/or traits. In addition, the privacy server maybe configured to facilitate the manual override of established templatesif/as desired by the controlling entity and creation of new templateswith respect to desired new actions, activities, processes and/ortraits. Such manual override may occur for instance by means of agraphical user interface of a privacy client running on a Data Subject'smobile device. For instance, a Data Subject may use the graphical userinterface to override the request for information pertaining to the DataSubject's preferred means of air travel by coach, business class orfirst class because in one example the Data Subject may be traveling bycruise ship and therefore the Data Subject may desire to specify whetherhe/she wants a suite, balcony stateroom, outside stateroom, or insidestateroom as attributes. In this example, the graphical user interfacemay permit the Data Subject to elect the minimal attributes fortransmission from the Data Subject's aggregated data profile.

At step 6, requests are received by the privacy server from privacyclients that may reside on Data Subject devices, on service providerdevices, accessible via and residing in a cloud network, or residing onthe same computing device as the privacy server with regard to aspecific action, activity, process or trait. The nature and substance ofrequests that may be received by the privacy server from privacy clientsmay vary in nature depending on a variety of factors comprising whetherthe system is implemented as DRMI, DRMD or otherwise, whether a requestpertains to healthcare, education, mobile, financial, Web, Internet ofThings or other applications, etc.

At step 7, a determination is made regarding the level of abstractionappropriate for the desired level of security, anonymity, privacy andrelevancy with respect to a particular action, activity, process ortrait. For example, the system may introduce an initial layer ofabstraction by linking relevant data attributes, separating relevantdata attributes into one or more TDR as determined desirable withrespect to a given action, activity, process or trait. Additional layersof abstraction may be introduced beyond separating data attributes intoone or more TDR by means of abstracting individual attributes, attributecombinations, or both by replacing them with DDIDs that cannot beunderstood without access to replacement keys (RKs). The privacy,anonymity and security of attributes contained or referenced within aTDR may be further improved or enhanced by using known protectiontechniques such as encrypting, tokenizing, pseudonymizing and elidingand further layers of abstraction may be introduced by using additionalDDIDs to refer to networks, internets, intranets, and third partycomputers that may be integrated, or communicate, with one or moreembodiments of the present invention.

At step 8, desired attribute combinations are selected by a controllingentity from the privacy server based on the attributes associated withthe applicable template as may be necessary with respect to a desiredaction, activity, process or trait. The abstraction module may determinedesired attributes that may be controlled by the controlling entity ordelegated to another entity as an authorized party, where the authorizedparty may choose to use the abstraction module to select attributesbased on established templates, select attributes on the fly, orintelligently detect appropriate input, among other methods.

In one example of step 8, with an e-commerce site selling sportsequipment, an internet browser provider that is acting as thecontrolling entity may use the abstraction module of the privacy serverto determine that information regarding a Data Subject's height, weightand budget are needed for a receiving web site to give options forappropriate sports equipment such as kayaks and paddles.

At step 9, the abstraction module of the privacy server generates uniqueDDIDs or accepts or modifies temporally unique, dynamically changingvalues to serve as DDIDs and assigns a DDID to each attributecombination of operation 8, to form TDRs. These DDIDs may serve variousfunctions including, but not limited to, replacement or simpleassociation. For example, if the internet browser provider acting as thecontrolling entity instructs the abstraction module to create a TDR witha single layer of abstraction it may assign a DDID that is not visiblyassociated with other TDRs for the same Data Subject without access toassociation keys (AKs). As another example, if the internet browserprovider acting as the controlling entity instructs the abstractionmodule to create a TDR with two layers of abstraction it may (i) assignDDIDs to be associated with the data attributes for the duration of theTDR and (ii) further abstract the data attributes by assigning a DDID ofAb5 to the Data Subject's weight, a DDID of 67h to the Data Subject'sheight and a DDID of Gw2 to the Data Subject's budget that cannot beunderstood without access to replacement keys (RKs). Step 9 may alsoinclude obtaining one or more attributes from one or more databases, theattributes relating to the Data Subject. The DDIDs utilized in step 9may be confirmed as not being currently in use, and may be selected fromexpired, previously used DDIDs.

At step 10, TDRs comprised of attribute combinations and DDIDs aretransmitted, by the privacy server via privacy clients to recipiententities for use by recipient entities in connection with desiredactions, activities, processes or traits pertaining to recipiententities. In the above example for instance, the internet browserprovider acting as the controlling entity may deliver to the ecommercesite as the recipient entity a TDR comprised of a DDID together withsecond level abstracted data attributes comprised of Ab5, 67h and Gw2.

At step 11, TDRs (which may be comprised of attribute combinations andDDIDs with respect to desired actions, activities, processes or traits)are received by recipient entities by means of privacy clients. To theextent that the intended use of the system is to enable creation ofoutput for big data analytics, the receipt of the TDRs may be the laststep (e.g., see the example of a potential embodiment of the inventiondiscussed in the context of Figure Z to provide privatized/anonymizeddata for big data analytics so applicable Data Subject(s) have the“right to be forgotten”), however, more interactive use of TDRs mayinvolve optional steps 12 through 17.

At optional step 12, TDRs (which may be comprised of attributecombinations and DDIDs for a desired online action, activity, process ortrait) are interpreted by recipient entities by means of privacy clientsand provide access to use of AKs and/or RKs as necessary to understandthe contents of the TDRs. In the above example for instance, theecommerce site as the recipient entity would access the RK informationto understand the value attributed to Ab5 for the Data Subject's weight,the value attributed to 67h for the Data Subject's height and the valueattributed to Gw2 to the Data Subject's budget.

At optional step 13, the privacy client may capture new data attributesassociated with the desired online action, activity, process or traitthat augment the original TDR data attributes as new information in TDRformat.

At optional step 14, the privacy client may capture new data attributesassociated with offline activity, if any, associated with the desiredonline action, activity, process or trait that augment the original TDRdata attributes as new information in TDR format.

At optional step 15, privacy clients transmit TDRs comprised of DDIDsand attribute combinations pertaining to online/offline sessions back tothe privacy server.

In the context of steps 14 and 15, since TDRs are transmitted viaprivacy clients to the privacy server without AKs or RKs they aretransmitted in a disaggregated and anonymized format, so that, ifsomeone intercepts the TDRs, they will not receive all data applicableto the Data Subject, desired action, activity, process or trait.

At optional step 16, in one example, re-aggregation of attributecombinations is performed through application by the maintenance moduleof relationship information between and among DDIDs and attributecombinations by means of association keys (AKs) and (DKs) residing atthe privacy server. In the example, this would mean that the original ormodified TDRs return to the privacy server, which may then modify or addthe new information about recommended kayaks and paddles to theaggregated data profile for the Data Subject.

Upon completion of aforementioned re-aggregation of new data regardingthe desired action, activity, process or trait from the attributecombinations, in one example the DDID may then be considered expired andreintroduced to the system at optional step 17 for reassignment and usewith other attributes, attribute combinations, Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes, traits or data, forming new TDRs in the samefashion as described above.

For instance, the DDIDs Ab5, 67h and Gw2 assigned to the attributes instep 9 above may then be assigned to data attributes pertaining to otherData Subjects for instance in a like case hop or distant case leapmanner. For example, a like case hop may include re-association of Ab5to a second Data Subject of the same or similar weight as the initialData Subject or re-association of a piece of data on weight or somethinginvolving the same number but not associated with the same Data Subjectwhereas a distant case leap may involve reassigning Ab5 to an unrelateddata attribute awaiting an DDID.

In a second example of FIG. 6, a physician may request blood pressureinformation pertaining to a specified Data Subject who is a patient ascollected offline by a nurse and entered online into the Data Subject'saggregated data profile. This request may cause the abstraction moduleof the privacy server, as part of step 8 above, to extract the attributecombination composed of the most recently recorded systolic anddiastolic blood pressure values for the Data Subject. As part of step 9,in lieu of specifying the Data Subject's identity, the privacy servermay combine those attribute combinations with an DDID assigned by theprivacy server to form a TDR. As part of step 10, the blood pressureattributes may be communicated to the physician together with theassigned DDID via the privacy client that may reside on a Data Subjectdevice, on a service provider device, accessible via and reside in acloud network, or reside on the same computing device as the privacyserver. At this point, the combination of the DDID and attributecombination pertaining to blood pressure would comprise the TDR. As partof step 12, the physician, as the recipient entity, may read the bloodpressure values via means of the RKs and as part of steps 13 and 14 mayrecord online and offline observations, recommendations or commentspertaining to the blood pressure reading as new data attributes. As partof step 15, the TDR augmented with online/offline information may bereturned to the privacy server via the privacy client. As part of step16, the privacy server may use the information to update the DataSubject's aggregated data profile. In this manner, an unintendedrecipient of the TDR would be unable to correlate the identity of theData Subject and would only see the DDID which may be reassigned toanother Data Subject in a like case hop or distant case leap mannerafter use by the physician.

FIG. 6A shows an example of a process for providing data security, dataprivacy and anonymity, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention involving interaction with external databases. FIG. 6A showsprocess steps that may be implemented by a controlling party or asystem, in one example.

At step 1 in FIG. 6A, a third-party data source submits data thatincludes one or more data attributes pertaining to one or more DataSubjects as input to the system. It should be noted that, in theembodiment of the invention represented by FIG. 6A, prior to submittingdata that includes one or more data attributes pertaining to one or moreData Subjects input to the system, the third-party data source wouldhave already created an aggregated data profile for each Data Subject(see, e.g., FIG. 1A) which the third-party data source would maintain,directly or indirectly, in one or more databases.

At step 2, requests are received by the privacy server from privacyclients that may reside on Data Subject devices, on service providerdevices, accessible via and residing in a cloud network, or residing onthe same computing device as the privacy server with regard to aspecific action, activity, process or trait. The nature and substance ofrequests that may be received by the privacy server from privacy clientsmay vary in nature depending on a variety of factors comprising whetherthe system is implemented as DRMI, DRMD or otherwise, whether a requestpertains to healthcare, education, mobile, financial, Web, Internet ofThings or other applications, etc.

The privacy, anonymity and security of attributes contained orreferenced within a TDR may be further improved or enhanced by usingknown protection techniques such as encrypting, tokenizing,pseudonymizing and eliding and further layers of abstraction may beintroduced by using additional DDIDs to refer to networks, internets,intranets, and third party computers that may be integrated, orcommunicate, with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

At step 3, a determination is made regarding the level of abstractionappropriate for the desired level of security, anonymity, privacy andrelevancy for a particular action, activity, process or trait. Forexample, the system may introduce abstraction by means of abstractingindividual attributes, attribute combinations, or both by representingthem with DDIDs that cannot be understood without access to replacementkeys (RKs). The privacy/anonymity and security of attributes containedor referenced within a TDR may be further improved or enhanced by usingknown protection techniques such as encrypting, tokenizing,pseudonymizing and eliding and further layers of abstraction may beintroduced by using additional DDIDs to refer to networks, internets,intranets, and third party computers that may be integrated, orcommunicate, with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

At step 4, desired attribute combinations are selected by a controllingentity from the privacy server based on the attributes associated withthe applicable template as may be necessary with respect to a desiredaction, activity, process or trait. The abstraction module may determinedesired attributes that may be controlled by the controlling entity ordelegated to another entity as an authorized party, where the authorizedparty may choose to use the abstraction module to select attributesbased on established templates, select attributes on the fly, orintelligently detect appropriate input, among other methods.

In one example of step 4, in the context of healthcare research, ahospital that is acting as the controlling entity may use theabstraction module of the privacy server to obfuscate informationregarding a Data Subject's height, weight and name before sending theinformation to a research facility.

At step 5, the abstraction module of the privacy server assigns a DDIDto each attribute combination of operation 4, to form TDRs. These DDIDsmay serve various functions including, but not limited to, replacementor simple association. For example, if hospital acting as thecontrolling entity instructs the abstraction module to create a TDR withtwo layers of abstraction it may abstract the data attributes byassigning a DDID of Ab5 to the Data Subject's weight, a DDID of 67h tothe Data Subject's height and a DDID of Gw2 to the Data Subject's namethat cannot be understood without access to replacement keys (RKs). Step5 may also include obtaining one or more attributes from one or moredatabases, the attributes relating to the Data Subject. The DDIDsutilized in step 5 may be confirmed as not being currently in use, andmay be selected from expired, previously used DDIDs.

At step 6, TDRs comprised of attribute combinations and DDIDs aretransmitted, by the privacy server via privacy clients to recipiententities for use by recipient entities in connection with desiredactions, activities, processes or traits pertaining to recipiententities. In the above example for instance, the hospital acting as thecontrolling entity may deliver to the research facility as the recipiententity a TDR comprised of abstracted data attributes comprised of Ab5,67h and Gw2.

At step 7, TDRs (which may be comprised of attribute combinations andDDIDs with respect to a desired action, activity, process or trait) arereceived by recipient entities by means of privacy clients. In the aboveexample for instance, the research facility as the recipient entitywould receive the information for analysis but without divulgingpersonally identifying information pertaining to weight, height. Rather,the research facility would receive Ab5, 67h and Gw2 that it could notdecipher unless granted access to relevant RK information. To the extentthat the intended purpose is big data analysis, the receipt of the TDRsmay be the last step, however, more interactive use of TDRs may involveoptional steps 8 through 13.

At optional step 8, TDRs (which may be comprised of attributecombinations and DDIDs with respect to a desired action, activity,process or trait) are interpreted by recipient entities by means ofprivacy clients and provide access to use of AKs and/or RKs as necessaryto understand the contents of the TDRs.

At optional step 9, the privacy client may capture new data attributesassociated with respect to the desired online action, activity, processor trait that augment the original TDR data attributes as newinformation in TDR format.

At optional step 10, the privacy client may capture new data attributesassociated with offline activity, if any, associated with the desiredonline action, activity, process or trait that augment the original TDRdata attributes as new information in TDR format.

At optional step 11, privacy clients transmit TDRs comprised ofattribute combinations and DDIDs pertaining to online/offline sessionsback to the privacy server. Since TDRs are transmitted via privacyclients to the privacy server without AKs and/or RKS they aretransmitted in a disaggregated and anonymized format so if someoneintercepts the TDRs they will not receive all data applicable to theData Subject, or desired action, activity, process or trait.

At optional step 12, in one example, re-aggregation of attributecombinations is performed through application by the maintenance moduleof relationship information between and among DDID and attributecombinations by means of association keys (AKs) and/or replacement keys(RKs) residing at the privacy server. In the example, this would meanthat the original or modified TDRs return to the privacy server, whichmay then modify or add the new information about recommended kayaks andpaddles to the aggregated data profile for the Data Subject.

Upon completion of aforementioned re-aggregation of new data regardingthe desired action, activity, process or trait from the attributecombinations, in one example the DDID may then be considered expired andreintroduced to the system at optional step 13 for reassignment and usewith other attributes, attribute combinations, Data Subjects, actions,activities, processes, traits, or data, forming new TDRs in the samefashion as described above.

FIG. 6B shows how potential embodiments of the present invention mayprovide dynamic anonymity for data elements contained in one or moredatabases (whether the one or more databases are internal to the systemas illustrated in FIG. 1A and/or external to the system as illustratedin FIG. 1B) that are considered too sensitive to be revealed in anidentifiable manner external to an organization—e.g., data whichdirectly identifies a Data Subject or sensitive action, activity,process and/or trait (a direct identifier) or indirectly identifies aData Subject or sensitive action, activity, process and/or trait whencombined with other data (a quasi-identifier). The system maydynamically obscure said sensitive data when exposed externally to theorganization by replacing said data with one or more DDIDs. Keysnecessary to understand the association between the one or more DDIDsand the obscured sensitive data may then be kept securely in a Circle ofTrust (CoT) and only made available to authorized parties. DDIDs may be“designed” (i.e., the data obscuring strategy may be tailored in such away) to allow varying levels of data use/analysis of DDIDs consistentwith PERMS established by a Data Subject or Trusted Party withoutrevealing underlying sensitive data. The sensitive data represented bythe one or more DDIDs may not be disclosed until keys are requested byone or more parties that have been authorized by the Data Subject orTrusted Party to receive and/or make use of the underlying sensitivedata.

In one potential embodiment of the present invention, the obscuring ofsensitive data as described above may occur only with respect to acertain computer application that requests data from the subject one ormore databases by intercepting requests for sensitive data from the oneor more database(s) at the presentation layer of said computerapplication and replacing the sensitive data with one or more DDIDs asdescribed above. In another potential embodiment of the presentinvention, obscuring of sensitive data may occur with respect to one ormore computer applications that request data from the subject one ormore databases by intercepting requests for sensitive data at the one ormore database(s) connection level(s) and replacing the sensitive datawith one or more DDIDs as described above.

FIG. 6B shows process steps that may be implemented by a controllingparty or a system to obscure sensitive data, in one example.

At step 1 in FIG. 6B, requests are received by the privacy server fromprivacy clients that may reside on Data Subject devices, on serviceprovider devices, accessible via and residing in a cloud network, orresiding on the same computing device as the privacy server with regardto data elements contained in one or more databases (whether the one ormore databases are internal to the system as illustrated in FIG. 1Aand/or external to the system as illustrated in FIG. 1B) considered toosensitive to be revealed in an identifiable manner external to anorganization—e.g., data which directly identifies a Data Subject orsensitive action, activity, process and/or trait (a direct identifier)or indirectly identifies a Data Subject or sensitive action, activity,process and/or trait when combined with other data (a quasi-identifier).The nature and substance of requests that may be received by the privacyserver from privacy clients may vary in nature depending on a variety offactors comprising whether the system is implemented as DRMI, DRMD orotherwise, whether a request pertains to healthcare, education, mobile,financial, Web, Internet of Things or other applications, etc.

At step 2, the abstraction module determines the level of abstractionappropriate for the desired level of security, privacy, anonymity andrelevancy for the sensitive data elements consistent with PERMSestablished by a Data Subject or Trusted Party and DDID associationstrategies are developed for the sensitive data elements consistent withthe scope of data use/analysis permitted by said PERMS.

At step 3, the one or more DDIDs determined by the abstraction module todynamically obscure the sensitive data elements are sent to the privacyclient.

At step 4, the one or more sensitive data elements are dynamicallyobscured by replacing said data elements with one or more DDIDsdetermined by the abstraction module and resulting DDIDs are used toreplace the sensitive data elements in data communicated externally tothe organization. In one example of step 3, the obscuring of sensitivedata elements occurs only with respect to a certain computer applicationthat requests data from the subject one or more databases byintercepting requests for sensitive data from the one or moredatabase(s) at the presentation layer of said computer application andreplacing the sensitive data with one or more DDIDs as determined by theabstraction module. In another example of step 3, the obscuring ofsensitive data elements occurs with respect to one or more computerapplications that request data from the subject one or more databases byintercepting requests for sensitive data from the one or moredatabase(s) at the one or more database(s) connection level(s) andreplacing the sensitive data with one or more DDIDs as determined by theabstraction module.

At step 5, keys necessary to understand the association(s) between theone or more DDIDs and the obscured sensitive data elements are securelystored in a Circle of Trust (CoT).

At step 6, keys necessary to understand the association(s) between theone or more DDIDs and the obscured sensitive data elements that aresecurely stored in a Circle of Trust (CoT) are made available only toauthorized parties. Sensitive data represented by the one or more DDIDsis not be disclosed until keys are requested by one or more parties thathave been authorized by the Data Subject or Trusted Party to receiveand/or make use of the underlying sensitive data.

FIG. 7 shows an example of process steps that may be implemented by arecipient entity, in one example of the present disclosure.

At step 1, a TDR comprised of attribute combinations selected by thecontrolling entity combined with a DDID to be associated with the dataattributes for the duration of the TDR are received by a recipientclient by means of a privacy client residing on a Data Subject device,on a service provider device, accessible via and residing in a cloudnetwork, or residing on the same computing device as the privacy serverindicating a request with respect to a desired action, activity, processor trait. For instance, in the kayak example above, the e-commerce sitereceiving entity may receive the Data Subject's TDR request with respectto a desired action, activity, process or trait.

At step 2, TDRs (which may be comprised of attribute combinations andDDIDs for the desired online action, activity, process or trait) areinterpreted by the recipient entity by means of a privacy client thatprovides access to use of AKs and/or RKs as necessary to understand thecontents of the TDRs. In the above example for instance, the ecommercesite would access the RK information residing on Data Subject devices,on service provider devices, accessible via and residing in a cloudnetwork, or residing on the same computing device as the privacy serverto understand the value attributed to Ab5 for the Data Subject's weight,the value attributed to 67h for the Data Subject's height and the valueattributed to Gw2 to the Data Subject's budget.

At step 3, in one example the receiving entity may use the TDRinformation it has received to customize a response to the DataSubject's transmitted attributes. In the kayak example, this would allowthe ecommerce site to use the information to give the Data Subjectsuggestions on which kayak and paddle to purchase.

At step 4, in one example the privacy client captures data for onlineactivity performed at the recipient entity that is associated withattribute combinations by means of access to a privacy client that maybe residing on a Data Subject device, on a service provider device,accessible via and residing in a cloud network, or residing on the samecomputing device as the privacy server.

At step 5, in one example, the recipient entity captures data foroffline activity, if any, associated with attribute combinations andconverts this into online data. In an instance such as the kayakexample, if the Data Subject is also a loyalty rewards member atphysical store locations also operated by the ecommerce site and hasopted to let other preferences be known, the receiving entity mayfurther augment the received data with this online component.

At step 5, in one example, the privacy client then transmits datapertaining to online sessions and offline activity associated withattribute combinations and DDIDs in disaggregated and anonymized formatto the privacy server.

At step 6, since the DDID components of TDRs are reintroduced to thesystem for reassignment and use with other attributes, attributecombinations, Data Subjects, actions, activities, processes, traits, ordata, forming new TDRs in the same fashion as described above, therecipient entity may see the same DDID at a later time but the DDID mayhave no connection to any other TDR associated with the Data Subject orotherwise with regard to which it was previously associated. Forexample, later that day or week the ecommerce site may see the same DDIDagain but attached to different information pertaining to an entirelydifferent Data Subject.

In a second example of FIG. 7, the physician requesting the bloodpressure information may receive, as part of step 1 via the privacyclient, a TDR comprised of the most recently recorded systolic anddiastolic blood pressure values and the DDID assigned by the privacyserver to the Data Subject. As part of steps 2 and 3, the physician isable to read the blood pressure information. As part of steps 4 and 5,the physician may add observations, recommendations or commentspertaining to the blood pressure that as part of step 6 would then besent to the privacy server via the privacy client that may be residingon a Data Subject device, on a service provider device, accessible viaand residing in a cloud network, or residing on the same computingdevice as the privacy server.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a process to verify authority toproceed with respect to an action, activity, process or trait at aparticular time and/or place, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

At step 1, in one example a recipient entity transmits a request to theprivacy server via a privacy client that may be residing on a DataSubject device, on a service provider device, accessible via andresiding in a cloud network, or residing on the same computing device asthe privacy server requesting the privacy server to confirm whether anundisclosed Data Subject or related party associated with a TDR isauthorized to participate with respect to an action, activity, processor trait at a particular time and/or place. For instance, when afterlooking through the recommended kayaks and paddles on the e-commercesite, the related party is ready to make a purchase, the e-commerce sitemay query the authentication module of the privacy server to determinewhether the related party is authorized to consummate the requestedtransaction.

At step 2, in one example the authentication module of the privacyserver compares the DDID included in the TDR to a list of authorizedDDIDs contained in a database to determine authorization of the DataSubject or related party to participate with respect to a desiredaction, activity, process or trait at the specified time and/or place.In terms of the kayak example, the authentication module of the privacyserver may ensure that the DDIDs being used are still active andauthorized, thereby indicating that the Data Subject or related party isauthorized to consummate the desired transaction.

Optionally, at step 3, in one example the privacy server may request theparty in control of a privacy client that may reside on a Data Subjectdevice, on a service provider device, accessible via and reside in acloud network, or reside on the same computing device as the privacyserver, in this case the e-commerce site, to confirm they are authorizedto participate in the desired transaction.

If optional step 3 is invoked, in one example step 4 checks to determineif the party in control of the privacy client is verified as beingauthorized. For example, in order to avoid deceptive attempts to acquireinformation such as usernames, passwords, or credit card details bymasquerading as a trustworthy entity (also known as “phishing”), step 4may require verification by the e-commerce site that it is an authorizedreseller of the kayak equipment by means of known confirmationtechniques.

At step 5, in one example, if verification is obtained, theauthentication module of the privacy server transmits the authorizationstatus information to the party in control of the privacy client.

At step 6, in one example the authorization status information is usedto allow or deny proceeding with respect to a desired action, activity,process or trait.

At step 7, once the authentication function has been carried out and theoptional additional verification steps are completed, the privacy serversends via a privacy client the AK and/or RK information necessary tointerpret TDR content so that the related party may purchase the desiredproducts and the transaction may be processed by the receiving entity,which in above example may be the ecommerce site.

In a second example of FIG. 8, a physician may send a TDR to the privacyserver via a privacy client to verify whether a Data Subject that is apatient is authorized to participate in an explorative study. This wouldcause the authentication module of the privacy server, as part of step2, to compare the Data Subject's DDID in the TDR to a list of authorizedDDIDs contained in a database to determine if the Data Subject isauthorized to participate in the study. Optionally, at step 3 theauthentication module of the privacy server may request the physiciansubmitting the request to confirm they are authorized to request thatthe Data Subject be a participant in the explorative study. If optionalstep 3 is invoked, step 4 checks to determine if the physician isauthorized by means of known confirmation techniques such as passwordconfirmation or multi-factor authentication. In step 5, if verificationis obtained, the authentication module of the privacy server maytransmit the authorization status information via the privacy client andin step 6 the authorization status may be used to allow or deny therequest for the Data Subject to participate in the explorative study andstep 7 would provide access to AK and/or RK key information necessary tointerpret TDR content and proceed.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a process of withholding replacementkey (RK) or association key (AK) information or other protectiveinformation unless verified, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown at step 1, in one example the party incontrol of a privacy client including a TDR transmits to theauthentication module of the privacy server via a privacy client thatmay be residing on a Data Subject device, on a service provider device,accessible via and residing in a cloud network, or residing on the samecomputing device as the privacy server a request for AKs and/or RKs,and/or keys necessary to unlock TDR data attributes protected usingother techniques such as encrypting, tokenizing, pseudonymizing oreliding.

In the kayak example, data may be sent using various additional steps toprotect it in transit, however, the receiving entity e-commerce site mayneed the key(s) to unlock and/or associate the three pieces ofinformation regarding height, weight and budget initially sent to it bythe privacy client. At step 2, in one example, the authentication moduleof the privacy server compares TDR recipient attribute combinations toauthorized recipient attribute combinations to determine whether the TDRrecipient is an authorized recipient. If the authentication module ofthe privacy server verifies that TDR recipient attribute combinationsmatches authorized recipient attribute combinations, then theauthentication module of the privacy server transmits to the TDRrecipient as part of step 3, via a privacy client, in one example, thekeys necessary to unlock the TDR.

In a second example of FIG. 8, in step 1 a physician receiving anencrypted, tokenized or elided TDR containing requested blood pressureinformation may be required to send a TDR to the authentication moduleof the privacy server via a privacy client to verify that the physicianis authorized to view the requested information. At step 2 theauthentication module of the privacy server may compare the physician'sTDR information to authorized recipient attribute combinations todetermine whether the physician is an authorized recipient. If theauthentication module of the privacy server verifies that thephysician's TDR information matches authorized recipient attributecombinations, then the authentication module of the privacy server maytransmit to the physician via a privacy client the keys necessary tounlock applicable protection techniques for the encrypted, tokenized orelided TDR containing requested blood pressure information.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of analyzing interests of related partiesin an anonymous fashion in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. At step 1, in one example, related parties (RPs) selectattribute combinations (ACs) to be shared with merchants/serviceproviders via privacy clients on mobile and/or wearable devices. Forexample, rather than utilizing an ecommerce site, a related party may goto a physical location of an outdoor sporting store and share the sameinformation about height, weight and budget via a mobile or wearabledevice.

At step 2, in one example, the privacy server may assign DDID(s) to theattribute combinations to form TDR(s) on privacy clients resident onmobile/wearable/portable devices.

At step 3, in one example, the TDR(s) are transmitted to themerchant/service provider recipient entity(s) via privacy clientsresident on mobile/wearable/portable devices. As an example with thekayaks, the store may receive the three separate TDR enabled dataattributes via in-store devices, beacons or the like from amobile/wearable/portable device of a Data Subject.

At step 4, in one example merchant/service provider recipient entity(s)may view attribute combinations authorized by related parties andtransmitted to the merchant/service provider recipient entity(s) byprivacy clients resident on mobile/wearable/portable devices. Forinstance, the store may view the height, weight and budget of therelated party.

At step 5, in one example, the merchant/service provider recipiententity(s) may make offers to Data Subjects and/or related parties on ananonymous basis without yet knowing the identity of the Data Subjectsand/or related parties.

At step 6, in one example, Data Subjects and/or related parties mayelect to respond to merchant/service provider recipient entity(s) offersthat they find desirable and consummate transactions.

The system and methods described herein may provide related parties witha way to achieve greater anonymity and increased privacy/anonymity andsecurity of data while utilizing one or more communication networks.Without these systems and methods, third parties may be able to obtainthe true identity of Data Subjects or related parties based on theiractivity on the communication networks via network services and/ortechnology providers that have associated identifying information withthe activity of the Data Subjects or related parties on and/or betweenthe networks.

Disclosed herein are other various methods for providing data securityand data privacy/anonymity. In one example, a method may include thesteps or operations of receiving, at a computing device, an electronicdata element; identifying one or more data attributes with theelectronic data element; selecting, through the computing device, aDDID; associating the selected DDID with one or more of the dataattributes; and creating a TDR from at least the selected unique DDIDand the one or more data attributes.

In one example, the step of selecting a data element includes generatingthe unique DDID or in another example accepting or modifying atemporally unique, dynamically changing value to serve as the DDID. Inone example, the method may also include causing the association betweenthe selected DDID and the one or more data attributes to expire. Inanother example, the method may include storing, in a databaseaccessible to the computing device, information regarding the timeperiods during which the selected unique DDID was associated withdifferent data attributes or combinations of attributes. In anotherembodiment, the method may also include re-associating the selectedunique DDID with the one or more data attributes following expiration ofthe association between the DDID and the one or more data attributes. Inone example, the expiration of the DDID occurs at a predetermined time,or the expiration may occur following completion of a predeterminedevent or activity. In another example, the TDR may be authorized for useonly during a given time period or at a predetermined location. Inanother example, the method may include changing the unique DDIDassigned to the one or more data attributes, wherein the changing of theunique DDID may occur on a random or a scheduled basis, or may occurfollowing the completion of a predetermined activity or event.

Another method is disclosed herein for facilitating transactions over anetwork. In one example, the method may include operations of receivinga request, at a privacy server, from a client device to conduct activityover a network; determining which of a plurality of data attributes in adatabase are necessary to complete the requested activity; creating aDDID; associating the DDID with the determined data attributes to createa combined TDR; making the combined TDR accessible to at least onenetwork device for conducting or initiating the requesting activity;receiving a modified TDR that includes additional information related tothe activity performed; and storing the modified TDR in the memorydatabase. In another method implementation, disclosed herein is a methodof providing controlled distribution of electronic information. In oneexample, the method may include receiving a request at a privacy controlmodule to conduct an activity over a network; selecting attributes ofData Subjects located in a database accessible to the privacy controlmodule determined to be necessary to fulfill the request, wherein otherattributes of the Data Subject which are not determined to be necessaryare not selected; assigning a DDID to the selected attributes and theData Subject or Data Subjects to which they apply with an abstractionmodule of the privacy control module, wherein the DDID does not revealthe unselected attributes; recording the time at which the unique DDIDis assigned; receiving an indication that the requested activity iscomplete; receiving the unique DDID and the determined attributes andthe Data Subject or Data Subjects to which they apply at the privacycontrol module, wherein the attributes are modified to includeinformation regarding the conducted activity; and recording the time atwhich the conducted activity is complete and the unique DDID and thedetermined attributes and the Data Subject or Data Subjects to whichthey apply are received at the privacy control module.

In one example, the method may also include assigning an additional DDIDto one or more of the selected attributes or Data Subjects. In anotherexample, the method may include re-associating, using the recordedtimes, the unique DDID and data attributes with the true identity of theData Subjects. The method may also include reassigning the unique DDIDto other data attributes, and recording the time at which the uniqueDDID is reassigned.

Another method is disclosed herein for improving data security. In oneexample, the method may include associating the Data Subject with atleast one attribute; and associating a DDID with the at least oneattribute to create a TDR; wherein the TDR limits access to attributesof the Data Subject to only those necessary to perform a given action.In one example, the method may include assigning an association key (AK)and/or replacement key (RK) to the TDR, wherein access to the AK and/orRK is required for authorized access to TDR. In another example, themethod may also include causing the association between the DDID and theat least one attribute to expire, wherein the expiration occurs at apredetermined time and/or the expiration may occur following completionof a predetermined event or activity. In another embodiment, the methodmay include re-associating the DDID with the at least one differentattribute following an expiration of the association between the DDIDand the at least one attribute. The method may also include storing, ina database, information regarding one or more time periods during whichthe DDID was associated with different data attributes or combinationsof attributes.

Various approaches may be used to associate DDIDs with differentattribute combinations to form TDRs. The DDIDs may have a certain orvariable length, and may be made up of various code composition elementssuch as numbers, characters, cases, and/or special characters. Inaddition, the DDIDs may be generated in random or consistent intervals.In one example, only authorized parties with access to association keys(AKs) and/or replacement keys (RKs) maintained by the maintenance modulenecessary to re-aggregate the otherwise disaggregated attributecombinations will have the capability to determine which attributecombinations are properly associated with other attribute combinations,Data Subjects, related parties, or aggregated data profiles. However,sites may still track and utilize the attribute combinations containedwithin TDRs in real time, with the understanding that they have atemporally limited existence and that associated DDIDs may be reusedlater for different actions, activities, processes, traits, attributecombinations, Data Subjects and/or related parties.

The attribute combinations transmitted may include single or variouscombinations of explicit data, personally identifying information (PII),behavioral data, derived data, rich data or other data.

Example A

In a first example, a system may be configured so that a related partyis the controlling entity authorized to designate to which other partiesattribute combinations will be released. Example A illustrates how thesystem processes information generated by a related party (related partyX or “RP X”) that engages in four different online sessions with twodifferent service providers (“SP”s) from various industries over threedifferent Communication Networks (“CN”s). FIGS. 11-20 illustrate thisexample, and show how information may be managed at various stages andunder various circumstances, in one example of an embodiment of theinvention. It is understood that FIGS. 11-20 are provided by way ofexample only, and that embodiments of the present invention may beimplemented in ways different than shown in the examples of FIGS. 11-20.

FIG. 11 shows an example wherein related party X transmits attributecombination A (Explicit Data) to a website Service Provider such asPandora Radio (“SP1”) via online internet access (“Communication Network1” or “CN1”). Attribute combination A is assigned an identifier code ofDDID 1 (for a limited temporal period) by the abstraction module of theprivacy server (“PS”). The identifier code together with attributecombination A is communicated to SP1 via CN1 via a security client. InFIG. 11, the combination of DDID 1 and attribute combination A representa TDR for related party X for the limited temporal period.

FIG. 12 shows an example wherein when interacting with SP1, relatedparty X generated activity information (Behavioral Data) tracked by SP1that was transmitted as attribute combination A1 by a privacy clientthat may reside on a Data Subject device, on a service provider device,accessible via and reside in a cloud network, or reside on the samecomputing device as the privacy server back to the privacy server. Themaintenance module of the privacy server may maintain informationregarding attribute combinations and various DDID codes assigned to eachattribute combination over time and at different points in time, as wellas the CN and SP associated with each attribute combination. In FIG. 12,the combination of DDID 1, attribute combination A, and attributecombination A1 represent a TDR for related party X for the limitedtemporal period of the association between DDID 1, attribute combinationA, and attribute combination A1. Upon completion of the association ofthe new data regarding the desired action, activity, or process from theattribution combinations, DDID 1 may be reassigned for use in a new TDR.The combination of DDIDs and attribute combinations shown in FIGS. 13through 20 also represents TDRs for the temporal period of theassociation between the DDIDs and attribute combinations.

FIG. 13 shows an example where related party X transmits anotherattribute combination E (Explicit Data) to Pandora Radio (“SP1”) viaOnline Internet Access (“CN1”). Attribute combination E is assigned anidentifier code of DDID 4, for a limited temporal period, by the privacyserver (“PS”) and the identifier code together with attributecombination E is communicated to SP1 via CN1 via a security client.

FIG. 14 shows an example wherein when interacting with SP1 in thisexample, related party X generated activity information (BehavioralData) tracked by SP1 that was transmitted as attribute combination E1back to the abstraction module of the privacy server via a privacyclient that may reside on a Data Subject device, on a service providerdevice, accessible via and reside in a cloud network, or reside on thesame computing device as the privacy server.

FIG. 15 shows an example wherein related party X transmitted attributecombination Q (Explicit Data) to another version of the SP1 PandoraRadio in mobile application form, accessible via mobile device accesscommunications (“Communication Network 2” or “CN2”). Attributecombination Q is assigned an identifier code of DDID 9, for a limitedtemporal period, by the privacy server and the identifier code togetherwith attribute combination Q is communicated as a TDR to SP1 via CN2 viaa security client.

FIG. 16 shows an example wherein when interacting with SP1, relatedparty X generated activity information (Behavior Data) tracked by SP1that was transmitted as attribute combination Q1 back to the abstractionmodule of the privacy server via a privacy client that may reside on aData Subject device, on a service provider device, accessible via andreside in a cloud network, or reside on the same computing device as theprivacy server.

FIG. 17 shows an example wherein party X transmits attribute combinationP (Behavioral Data) via a privacy client that may reside on a DataSubject device, on a service provider device, accessible via and residein a cloud network, or reside on the same computing device as theprivacy server to a Service Provider (“SP2”) that provides monitoringservices related to exercise activity such as FitBit via wearable deviceaccess communications (“Communication Network 3” or “CN3”). Attributecombination P is assigned an identifier code of DDID 7, for a limitedtemporal period, by the PS and the identifier code together withattribute combination P is communicated as a TDR to SP2 via CN3 via asecurity client.

FIG. 18 shows an example wherein when interacting with SP2 in thissituation, SP2 calculated the percentage of desired daily calorie burn(Derived Data) accomplished by related party X, and that thisinformation was transmitted via a privacy client that may reside on aData Subject device, on a service provider device, accessible via andreside in a cloud network, or reside on the same computing device as theprivacy server as attribute combination P1 back to the privacy server.

FIG. 19 shows an example wherein the attribute combinations accessibleto each SP as well as the attribute combinations are re-transmitted byprivacy clients that may reside on a Data Subject device, on a serviceprovider device, accessible via and reside in a cloud network, or resideon the same computing device as the privacy server back to the privacyserver. FIG. 19 highlights that sessions of use within or between SPsmay be subset between or within sessions so that without access to thesecurity association keys that may be maintained by the maintenancemodule, SPs do not have in one example the information necessary todetermine associations between the attribute combinations. However, theydo have access to the attribute combinations created during each limitedtemporal period as determined by changing DDIDs, in one example. Forexample, SP1 does not know that DDID 1 and DDID 9 both pertain torelated party X who accessed the two different versions of the websitemaintained by SP1—one accessed via online internet access and the otheraccessed via mobile device access.

FIG. 20 shows an example wherein the data accessible to related party Xthat includes all information sent to and retransmitted from the SPs.FIG. 19 highlights that with access to the security association keysthat may be maintained by the maintenance module, related party X, asthe controlling entity, may have in one example the informationnecessary to determine associations between the attribute combinationsfor aggregation and normalization purposes. In addition, related party Xmay have the information to use, or have a data facilitator use, themaintenance module to perform further analysis and processing of thedata in a secure environment. The new attribute combination Z representsnew data (“Rich Data”) that was produced by the maintenance module atthe request of related party X by comparing all data associated withDDID 1, DDID 9, DDID 4 and DDID 7 to predict what other music choicesrelated party X may enjoy that will assist in helping to attain thedesired daily calorie burn. The attribute combination Z may include alist of the other music choices produced from this prediction, as wellas data associated with the various other DDIDs. Attribute combination Zwill not be communicated to any party (SP1, SP2 or otherwise) untildesired by related party X, which is acting as the controlling entity.When related party X desires to share attribute combination Z, in oneexample it would be assigned a DDID code prior to transmission to therecipient parties designated by related party X. This new attributecombination will be more holistic and current when and if it isdistributed to recipient entities as determined by the related party X.

Example B

In a second example shown in FIGS. 21-22, a system is configured so thata service provider (“SP3”) is the controlling entity authorized todesignate parties to whom select attribute combinations related to SP3clients are released. SP3 may use the system to provide improvedprotection for its client's identity and privacy/anonymity. Thisincludes reducing the likelihood of consumer or government backlash as aresult of potential loss of privacy or anonymity, as well as increasingmarket penetration, use and acceptance of SP3 offerings. It isunderstood that FIGS. 21-22 are provided by way of example only, andthat embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in waysdifferent than shown in the examples of FIGS. 21-22.

FIGS. 21 and 22 show an example wherein SP3 provides each of a inputtechnology vendor such as a website company that helps to capture orderinformation (“ITV”), a process technology vendor such an onlineelectronic payment processor (“PTV”) and an output technology vendorsuch as a party that delivers selected products electronically tocustomers (“OTV”) with only those attribute combinations necessary toperform the services assigned to each vendor. None of the vendors haveaccess to Personally Identifying Information (“PII”) that would revealthe identity of SP3 clients.

FIG. 23 illustrates an example of implementation of dynamically created,changeable, and re-assignable DDIDs in the area of Internet behavioralad serving. Without the benefit of some embodiments of the presentinvention, Internet behavioral ad serving is based primarily on adnetworks placing cookies in a user's web browser and building a profileof said user by tracking user-visited websites that carry ads from thesame ad network. In this manner, networks build a profile ofuser-visited websites augmentable with data from other sources, leadingto detailed profiles of users for whom they have cookie information.

Typically, when a user visits a website (“Website1”) in FIG. 23 for thefirst time, said website: (i) delivers content from the website to theuser's browser; (ii) sends a cookie to the user's browser; and (iii)directs the user's browser to a web address to retrieve ad content to beserved on the website from the ad network (“Ad Network 1”). The cookiedelivered in (ii) above is referred to as a “First Party Cookie” sinceit relates to a website selected by the user. First Party Cookies can bebeneficial to a user to help keep “state” information such as log-inprogress, items in a shopping basket and other relevancies that improvethe user's experience. When the user's browser requests ad informationfrom Ad Network 1 as part of (iii) above, Ad Network 1 sends an ad tothe user's browser that is displayed as part of Website1. If this is thefirst time the user's browser requests ad content from Ad Network 1, AdNetwork 1 will also send a cookie to the user's browser. This cookie isreferred to as a Third Party Cookie because it is not from a web pageintended to be visited by the user. If Ad Network 1 has not previouslytracked the user, Ad Network 1 will serve an ad based on traditional addelivery technology (e.g., the nature of content on Website1 might bedelivered). As the user visits more and more websites with ads served byAd Network 1, Ad Network 1 (via the Third Party Cookie sent by AdNetwork 1 to the user's browser) builds a profile of the behavioral dataon the user based on the pages visited, time spent on each page andother variables such as information from the user's social network,online or offline buying behavior, psychographics and demographicstogether with further user information collected either by Ad Network1's actions or by integrating information available from third partydata providers. Based on the profile of the user created and managed byAd Network 1, Ad Network 1 is able to display an ad targeted to the userbased on what Ad Network 1 determined was of highest interest to theuser.

This conventional tracking of the user from site to site and page topage by third party Ad Networks has raised privacy/anonymity concerns.In response, the Do-Not-Track (DNT) effort was launched through theWorld Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international body in which memberorganizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together todevelop Web standards for adoption by a cross section of regulators,civil society and commercial entities. The major browsers (i.e., IE,Chrome, Firefox, Safari) now offer a DNT option; however, no agreementexists on how recipient websites should respond to a DNT preference.

Despite this, some providers have recognized that DNT applies to thirdparty website tracking—not first party website tracking Under the draftW3C standard, If a first party receives a DNT:1 signal, the first partymay engage in its normal collection and use of data. This includes theability to customize the content, services, and advertising in thecontext of the first party experience. Under this recommendation, thefirst party must not share data about this network interaction withthird parties who could not collect the data themselves; however, dataabout the transaction may be shared with service providers acting onbehalf of the first party.

In Do-Not-Track situations, when a user visits a website (“Website1”)the user's browser sends a notification to Website1 that the user is notto be tracked; and Website1 sends to the user's browser a First PartyCookie and content, plus the address where the browser should requestthe ad to be served on Website1 from an ad network (“Ad Network 1”). AdNetwork 1 receives the request to not be tracked and sends the adcontent to the user's browser, but no Third Party Cookie is placed onthe user's browser. The ad is provided to the user based on traditionalmethods of targeting which may include, without limitation, targeting anad to the content of the page (i.e., contextual targeting). Depending onhow Do-Not-Track is implemented, as stated above, with respect to firstparties, the consensus places few limitations on first parties (exceptthat the first party must not share data about a DNT user's networkinteraction with third parties who could not collect the datathemselves).

In contrast, with embodiments of the present invention, Do-Not-Track maybe implemented to protect a related party's user's privacy/anonymitywhile still delivering content and targeted ads to support the primaryrevenue model of the Internet. FIG. 23 represents one of a number ofpotential implementations of the present invention for ad serving.

At Step 1 in FIG. 23, in one example a Data Subject or related partyvisits Website 1 for the first time and the browser sends a Do-Not-Trackheader to Website 1. If desired by the Data Subject or related party,the browser can also send a TDR to Website 1, thus enabling it toinclude “state” information for improving the Data Subject or relatedparty's experience there. Website 1 then sends the content to the DataSubject or related party's browser.

At Step 2, in one example the Data Subject or related party's browserrequests an ad for Website 1 from Ad Network 1 (with or without a TDR).When the TDR is not sent, the Data Subject or related party will receivea traditionally targeted ad from Ad Network 1 based on the page'scontent. When the TDR is sent, Ad Network 1 becomes enable to serve ahighly targeted ad to the Data Subject or related party's browser basedon the Data Subject or related party's relevant attributes. In thisrespect, the ad served by Ad Network 1 based on a TDR is likely morerelevant to the Data Subject or related party than an ad servedtraditionally or by aggregated (and therefore more generallyinferential) behavioral profile information the Ad Network wouldotherwise have collected on the Data Subject or related party.

At Step 3, in one example, as the Data Subject or related party visitsadditional sites (“WebsiteN”), a process similar to that in Steps 1 and2 will occur. When the TDR is included, the website content and the adcontent will be highly targeted; however, at a minimum Ad Network 1 willhave no ability to collect information on or track the Data Subject orrelated party. Further, via the privacy client resident on the browseror through other mechanisms, the TDR may be included in the informationsent to the website or to Ad Network 1.

In summary, under existing ad targeting technology, users may be trackedeverywhere they go online, yet they are served ads based on aggregateddata out of which the ad network makes inferences about the particularuser's preferences. This results in no user privacy/anonymity andlow-to-moderate ad relevance. By combining aspects of the presentinvention and Do-Not-Track, users are empowered decide what informationgets sent to which websites and ad networks. This not only enhancesprivacy/anonymity, but also ad relevance (for users) and improvessell-through and return on investment for merchants.

FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate potential benefits of some embodiments of thepresent disclosure in the area of healthcare. FIG. 24 highlights howtemporally unique and purpose limited data representations (TDRs) may beused in one potential implementation of the invention to protect theconfidentiality and privacy/anonymity of user and patient personallyidentifiable information (PII) and/or personal health information (PHI)in a healthcare information system. With the benefit of one embodimentof the present invention, a healthcare system may generate real-timeTDRs that do not reveal sensitive PII/PHI without losing the context of,or access to, such information. In step 1.0, information may be receivedas input to the system including PII/PHI relevant to the registrationprocess. In order to protect the privacy/anonymity of sensitive PII/PHIinformation, output from the registration process may replace PII/PHIuser information [A] with TDRs (comprised of dynamically changing andre-assignable DDIDs and the PII/PHI information) without revealing thePII/PHI information so sensitive PII/PHI data is not exposed. This userdata (including TDRs in lieu of PII/PHI information) would then be usedas input to create, augment or alter the user data file at D1 withoutrevealing PII/PHI information [B]. Similarly, PII/PHI information thatis output from the step 2.0 reservation process may be replaced withTDRs (comprised of dynamically changing and re-assignable DDIDs and thePII/PHI information) without revealing the PII/PHI information sosensitive PII/PHI data is not exposed. This clinical data (includingTDRs in lieu of PII/PHI information) would then be used as input tocreate, augment or alter the clinical data file at D2 without revealingPII/PHI information [C]. Clinical data from D2 (after undergoing theclinical information search process at step 3.0) may then be combinedwith User data from D1 as input to the step 4.0 user profile searchprocess without revealing PII/PHI information by means of access to anduse of the temporally unique and purpose limited TDRs only. PII/PHI userinformation components of output resulting from the step 4.0 userprofile search process may be replaced with TDRs (comprised ofdynamically changing and re-assignable DDIDs and the PII/PHIinformation) without revealing the PII/PHI information so sensitivePII/PHI data is not exposed. Lastly, user data at D1 (including TDRs inlieu of PII/PHI information) can be used as input to the step 5.0reservation record browse process without revealing PII/PHI informationby means of access to and use of the temporally unique and purposelimited TDRs only. When access to detailed information from the userdata file and/or clinical data file is required for authorizedhealthcare or ancillary service purposes, association keys (AKs) and/orreplacement keys (RKs) may be used to discern the relevant sensitivePII/PHI data associated with applicable TDRs and DDIDs.

FIG. 25 illustrates an example wherein dynamically created, changeableand re-assignable TDRs (comprised of dynamically changing andre-assignable DDIDs and the PII/PHI information) could be used toprotect the confidentiality and privacy/anonymity of PII/PHI containedin patient medical records. FIG. 25 shows how implementing the presentinvention with multiple levels of abstraction establishes “rings ofprivacy” such that only the level of identifying information necessaryto perform a desired service or permitted function is provided. In thisexample, each of the Provider, State, Multi-State and National levelswould receive attribute combinations appropriate for their respectivepermitted purposes. Temporally unique and purpose limited datarepresentations (TDRs) may be used to protect the confidentiality andprivacy/anonymity of user and patient personally identifiableinformation (PII) and/or personal health information (PHI). With thebenefit of one embodiment of the present invention, healthcare relatedinformation could use TDRs that do not reveal sensitive PII/PHI withoutlosing the context of, or access to, such information. Each successivelevel (starting with the provider level at the bottom and working up tothe national level at the top) could be provided information in whichPII/PHI information has been replaced with TDRs (comprised ofdynamically changing and re-assignable DDIDs and the PII/PHIinformation) represented by temporally unique and purpose limited DDIDsonly (without revealing the PII/PHI information) so sensitive PII/PHIdata is not exposed. When access to PII/PHI information is necessary toperform an appropriate and authorized use at a specific level,association keys (AKs) and/or replacement keys (RKs) may be used todiscern the relevant sensitive PII/PHI data associated with applicableTDRs and DDIDs. In addition, DDIDs could help facilitate self-regulationto improve longitudinal studies since DDIDs change over time andinformation associated with new DDIDs can reflect new and additionalinformation without revealing the identity of a Data Subject/patient.This could be accomplished by using DDIDs to separate “context” or“meta” from the data necessary to perform analysis. The results of theanalysis could be shared with a trusted party/proxy who would apply the“context” or “meta” to the data resulting from the analysis. There are amultitude of players in the healthcare industry—many of which usedifferent data structures. Dynamic Anonymity could support collection ofdisparate data from different sources in different formats, normalizethe information into a common structure and separate “context” or “meta”from “content” by means of dynamically assigning, reassigning andtracking DDIDs to enable effective research and analysis withoutrevealing identifying information. This methodology could allow thelinking of data together about a single Data Subject/patient fromdisparate sources without having to worry about getting consent becauseindividuals would not be identifiable as a result of the process. Onlywithin the Circle of Trust (“CoT”) identified in FIG. 1C-1 willidentifying information be accessible by means of access to the mappingengine that correlates information to individuals. With appropriateoversight and regulation, trusted parties/proxies could offer controlsvia a Circle of Trust (CoT) to help reconcile tensions betweenidentifiable and functional information. For example, currently inhealthcare/life science research, significant “data minimization”efforts are undertaken to ensure that only the minimal amount ofidentifiable information is used in research because of potential riskto individuals of re-identification. With Dynamic Anonymity, much of theburden placed on regulators regarding enforcement of laws and the burdenon companies associated with privacy/anonymity reviews and engineeringcould be substantially reduced while at the same time, more completedata sets could be made available for healthcare-related research anddevelopment. HIPAA sets forth methodologies for de-identifying personalhealth information (PHI); once PHI is de-identified, it is no longersubject to HIPAA regulations and can be used for any purpose. However,concerns have been raised about the sufficiency of existing HIPAAde-identification methodologies, the lack of legal accountability forunauthorized re-identification of de-identified data, and insufficientpublic transparency about de-identified data uses. In addition,effective as of Sep. 22, 2014 under the HIPAA/HITECH final rule, inaddition to covered entities, business associates are also directlyliable for HIPAA compliance. The present invention provides a means ofaccomplishing the information privacy objectives of HIPAA withoutdiminishing the value of information. By means of application of thepresent invention, most data may be HIPAA compliant.

FIG. 26 illustrates some potential benefits of an embodiment of thepresent disclosure in the area of mobile/wearable/portable devicecommunications. Mobile/wearable/portable applications implementing asystem or aspects thereof as disclosed herein, may provide thecontrolling entity control over both the timing and level ofparticipation in location and time sensitive applications. Thecontrolling entity may use the capabilities of the abstraction module ofthe privacy server to control the degree to which attribute combinationsare shared with third parties, doing so in an anonymous versuspersonally identifiable manner. For example, static identifiersassociated with a mobile/wearable/portable device in existing systemsmay enable mobile/wearable/portable application providers and otherthird parties to aggregate attribute combination data pertaining to useof the mobile/wearable/portable device. Use of the present invention mayprevent application providers and other third parties from aggregatingattribute combinations pertaining to use of a mobile/wearable/portabledevice and may further enable a mobile/wearable/portable device to usemobile applications requiring access to geolocation information (e.g.,direction or map applications) without revealing the identity of themobile/wearable/portable device or user by implementing the use of TDRsand/or DDIDs rather than static identifiers.

FIG. 27 is an example of a simplified functional block diagramillustrating a programmable device 2700 according to one embodiment thatcan implement one or more of the processes, methods, steps, features oraspects described herein. The programmable device 2700 may include oneor more communications circuitry 2710, memory 2720, storage device 2730,processor 2740, controlling entity interface 2750, display 2760, andcommunications bus 2770. Processor 2740 may be any suitable programmablecontrol device or other processing unit, and may control the operationof many functions performed by programmable device 2700. Processor 2740may drive display 2760 and may receive controlling entity inputs fromthe controlling entity interface 2750. An embedded processor provides aversatile and robust programmable control device that may be utilizedfor carrying out the disclosed techniques.

Storage device 2730 may store attribute combinations, software (e.g.,for implementing various functions on device 2700), preferenceinformation, device profile information, and any other suitable data.Storage device 2730 may include one or more storage mediums for tangiblyrecording data and program instructions, including for example, ahard-drive or solid state memory, permanent memory such as ROM,semi-permanent memory such as RAM, or cache. Program instructions maycomprise a software implementation encoded in any desired computerprogramming language.

Memory 2720 may include one or more different types of storage modulesthat may be used for performing device functions. For example, memory2720 may include cache, ROM, and/or RAM. Communications bus 2770 mayprovide a data transfer path for transferring data to, from, or betweenat least memory 2720, storage device 2730, and processor 2740.

Although referred to as a bus, communications bus 2770 is not limited toany specific data transfer technology. Controlling entity interface 2750may allow a controlling entity to interact with the programmable device2700. For example, the controlling entity interface 2750 can take avariety of forms, such as a button, keypad, dial, click wheel, mouse,touch or voice command screen, or any other form of input or userinterface.

In one embodiment, the programmable device 2700 may be a programmabledevice capable of processing data. For example, the programmable device2600 may be a device such as any identifiable device (excluding smartphones, tablets, notebook and desktop computers) that have the abilityto communicate and are embedded with sensors, identifying devices ormachine-readable identifiers (a “smart device”), smart phone, tablet,notebook or desktop computer, or other suitable personal device.

FIG. 28 is an example of a block diagram illustrating a system 2800 ofnetworked devices for implementing one or more of the processes,methods, steps, features or aspects described herein. The privacy clientdescribed above may be implemented on any of the smart device (i.e.,wearable, movable or immovable smart devices) 2810, smart phone 2820,tablet 2830, notebook 2840, or desktop computer 2850, for example. Eachof these devices is connected by one or more networks 2860 to theprivacy server 2870, to which is coupled a database 2880 for storinginformation about attribute combinations, TDRs, Data Subjects,aggregated Data Subject profiles, time periods/stamps by means of timekeys (TKs) or otherwise, association keys (AKs), replacement keys (RKs)and their associated information. The database 2880 may be any desiredform of data storage, including structured databases and non-structuredflat files. The privacy server 2870 may also provide remote storage forattribute combinations, TDRs, Data Subjects, aggregated Data Subjectprofiles, time periods/stamps by means of time keys (TKs) or otherwise,association keys (AKs), replacement keys (RKs) and their associatedinformation that have been or are to be delivered to the privacy clientson devices 2810, 2820, 2830, 2840, 2850, or other suitable deviceseither in the database 2880 or in a different database (not shown).

Although a single network 2860 is illustrated in FIG. 28, the network2860 may be multiple interconnected networks, and the privacy server2870 may be connected to each of the privacy clients on 2810, 2820,2830, 2840, 2850, or other suitable devices via different networks 2860.The network 2860 may be any type of network, including local areanetworks, wide area networks, or the global internet.

Embodiments of the present invention can provide privacy and securityapplications for various industries, environments, and technologies,including, but not limited to, online transactions, healthcare,education, card payment or processing, information security, shipping,supply chain management, manufacturing resource planning, geolocation,mobile or cellular systems, energy and smart grid technologies, theinternet, and the defense and intelligence technologies and programs.

When used in an online transaction environment, embodiments of thepresent invention can provide consumers with the ability to controlcollection or use of their data, and may provide data custodians theability to ensure third parties involved in data communications ordissemination receive only information necessary for them to performtheir specific function. The resulting increased consumer confidence mayenable continued enjoyment of benefits of the “Internet of Things,” asdescribed above, without forsaking subject or related party rights orsubjecting the industry to undue regulation.

In the healthcare field, embodiments of the present invention can helpretain the efficacy of existing healthcare laws by improvingde-identification. In addition, embodiments of the present invention mayenable individual consumers and society as a whole to benefit fromhealthcare big data analytics by improving likelihood of patient consentfor research due to increased protection of confidentiality of data.

As another example, when used in educational environments, embodimentsof the present invention can provide educators and administrators withsecure tools to access and use compartmentalized student-related data toenable students individually, and school systems collectively, tobenefit from enhanced data analytics without jeopardizing students'rights to privacy/anonymity.

In the field of national security setting, an example embodiment of theinvention may be used for instance by a governmental national securityorganization to analyze limited telephone records aggregated byindividual telecommunications users, without requiring that anypersonally identifiable information be provided to the securityorganization. For example, the time of calls, the ‘called to’ and‘called from” number, the duration of calls and the zip code of the“called to” and “called from” numbers could be disclosed without havingto expose telephone numbers making or receiving calls or personalinformation pertaining to calling or receiving parties. In this example,the security organization may analyze the limited telephone records todetermine if any suspicious activity occurred at which point a warrantor other judicial approval may be issued to receive additional, moredetailed attributes of the telephone records. In this manner,embodiments of the present invention can be used to further nationalsecurity interests while at the same time maintaining theprivacy/anonymity of telephone users until such time as a judicialreview requires the disclosure of additional, more detailed attributes.

Examples

The following examples pertain to further embodiments. Example 1 is asystem, comprising: a communication interface for sending data; one ormore memory elements having, stored therein, computer program code; andone or more processing units operatively coupled to the one or morememory elements and configured to execute instructions in the computerprogram code that cause the one or more processing units to: generate orreceive one or more dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers;receive a first request from a first client for one or moredynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers related to a firstdata subject; associate, in response to the first request, one or moredynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers with the first datasubject; generate first time period data, wherein the first time perioddata comprises information defining a first time period during which theone or more dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers may beused to identify the first data subject; store, in at least one of theone or more memory elements, the one or more dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifiers and the first time period data; and sendthe one or more dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers tothe first client.

Example 2 includes the subject matter of example 1, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate one or more data attributes with a firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier of the one or moredynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers.

Example 3 includes the subject matter of example 2, wherein at least oneof the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier relates to an action,activity, process, purpose, identity, or trait of the first datasubject.

Example 4 includes the subject matter of example 3, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: receive a second request from a second client forat least one of the one or more data attributes associated with thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier during thefirst time period; determine that the second request is authorized; andgrant the ability of second client to determine the requested one ormore data attributes associated with the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier during the first time period.

Example 5 includes the subject matter of example 1, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate a first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier of the one or more dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifiers with a second data subject during the first timeperiod or during a second time period.

Example 6 includes the subject matter of example wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate, in response to the first request, asecond dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier of the one ormore dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers with the firstdata subject; generate second time period data, wherein the second timeperiod data comprises information defining a second time period duringwhich the second dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier maybe used to identify the first data subject; store, in at least one ofthe one or more memory elements, the second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier, and second time period data; and send thesecond dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier to the firstclient.

Example 7 includes the subject matter of example 6, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate one or more data attributes with thesecond dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier, wherein atleast one of the one or more data attributes associated with the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier relates to an action,activity, process, purpose, identity, or trait of the first datasubject.

Example 8 includes the subject matter of example 7, wherein at least oneof the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier is different from atleast one of the one or more data attributes associated with the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier.

Example 9 includes the subject matter of example 3, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate the first dynamically-changing temporallyunique identifier with a second data subject during a second timeperiod, wherein at least one of the one or more data attributesassociated with the first dynamically-changing temporally uniqueidentifier during the first time period is the same as one of the one ormore data attributes associated with the first dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifier during the second time period.

Example 10 includes the subject matter of example 1, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: receive from a second client, a seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier related to a seconddata subject; associate the second dynamically-changing temporallyunique identifier with the second data subject; generate second timeperiod data, wherein the second time period data comprises informationdefining a second time period during which the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier may be used toidentify the second data subject; and store, in at least one of the oneor more memory elements, the second dynamically-changing temporallyunique identifier and second time period data.

Example 11 includes the subject matter of example 4, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: revoke the ability of the second client todetermine the requested one or more data attributes associated with thefirst dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier during thesecond time period.

Example 12 is a non-transitory computer readable medium comprisingcomputer executable instructions stored thereon to cause one or moreprocessing units to: generate or receive one or moredynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers; receive a firstrequest from a first client for a one or more dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifiers related to a first data subject;associate, in response to the first request, one or moredynamically-changing temporally unique identifiers with the first datasubject; generate first time period data, wherein the first time perioddata comprises information defining a first time period during which theone or more dynamically-changing temporally unique identifiers may beused to identify the first data subject; store, in one or more memoryelements, the one or more dynamically-changing temporally uniqueidentifiers and the first time period data; and send the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier to the first client.

Example 13 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate one or more data attributes with a first dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifier of the one or more dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifiers.

Example 14 includes the subject matter of example 13, wherein at leastone of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier relates to an action,activity, process, purpose, identity, or trait of the first datasubject.

Example 15 includes the subject matter of example 14, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receivea second request from a second client for at least one of the one ormore data attributes associated with the first dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifier during the first time period; determinethat the second request is authorized; and grant the ability of secondclient to determine the requested one or more data attributes associatedwith the first dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier duringthe first time period.

Example 16 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate a first dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier ofthe one or more dynamically-changing temporally unique identifiers witha second data subject during a second time period.

Example 17 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate a first dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier ofthe one or more dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier with asecond data subject during the first time period.

Example 18 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate, in response to the first request, a seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier of the one or moredynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers with the first datasubject; generate second time period data, wherein the second timeperiod data comprises information defining a second time period duringwhich the second dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier maybe used to identify the first data subject; store, in at least one ofthe one or more memory elements, the second dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifier, and second time period data; and send thesecond dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier to the firstclient.

Example 19 includes the subject matter of example 18, wherein the firsttime period and the second time period do not overlap.

Example 20 includes the subject matter of example 18, wherein the firsttime period and the second time period at least partially overlap.

Example 21 includes the subject matter of example 18, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate one or more data attributes with the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier, wherein at least oneof the one or more data attributes associated with the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier relates to an action,activity, process, purpose, identity, or trait of the first datasubject.

Example 22 includes the subject matter of example 21, wherein at leastone of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier is different from atleast one of the one or more data attributes associated with the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier.

Example 23 includes the subject matter of example 14, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate the first dynamically-changing temporally unique identifierwith a second data subject during a second time period, wherein at leastone of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier during the first timeperiod is the same as one of the one or more data attributes associatedwith the first dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier duringthe second time period.

Example 24 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receivefrom a second client, a second dynamically-changing temporally uniqueidentifier related to a second data subject; associate the seconddynamically-changing temporally unique identifier with the second datasubject; generate second time period data, wherein the second timeperiod data comprises information defining a second time period duringwhich the second dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier maybe used to identify the second data subject; and store, in at least oneof the one or more memory elements, the second dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifier and second time period data.

Example 26 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receivea second request from a second client for an identity of the first datasubject associated with a first dynamically-changing temporally uniqueidentifier of the one or more dynamically-changing temporally uniqueidentifiers during the first time period; determine that the secondrequest is authorized; and grant, the ability of the second client todetermine the identity of the first data subject during the first timeperiod.

Example 27 includes the subject matter of example 26, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: revokethe ability of the second client to determine the identity of the firstdata subject during the first time period.

Example 28 includes the subject matter of example 15, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: revokethe ability of the second client to determine the requested one or moredata attributes associated with the first dynamically-changingtemporally unique identifier during the second time period.

Example 29 includes the subject matter of example 13, wherein the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier is not derived fromany of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier.

Example 30 includes the subject matter of example 12, wherein the afirst dynamically-changing temporally unique identifier of the one ormore dynamically-changing temporally unique identifiers comprises aprimary identifier for the first data subject.

Example 31 is a system, comprising: a communication interface forsending and receiving data; one or more memory elements having, storedtherein, computer program code; and one or more processing unitsoperatively coupled to the one or more memory elements and configured toexecute instructions in the computer program code that cause the one ormore processing units to: generate or receive a firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier; associate the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier with a first datasubject; associate one or more data attributes with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier; generate first timeperiod data, wherein the first time period data comprises informationdefining a first time period during which the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier may be used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated one or moredata attributes; store, in at least one of the one or more memoryelements, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier,the one or more data attributes, and the first time period data; andsend the one or more data attributes to a first client.

Example 32 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein theinstructions to generate a first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier are executed based on at least one of the following: time,purpose, and location.

Example 33 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: terminate the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier's ability to retrieve the associated one ormore data attributes.

Example 34 includes the subject matter of example 33, wherein theinstructions to terminate the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier's ability to retrieve the associated one or more dataattributes are executed based on at least one of the following: time,purpose, and location.

Example 35 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein at leastone of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier relates to an action,activity, process, purpose, identity, or trait of the first datasubject.

Example 36 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier with a second data subject during a secondtime period.

Example 37 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: associate the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier with a second data subject during the firsttime period.

Example 38 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: receive a first request from a second client foridentifying information of the first data subject associated with thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier during thefirst time period; determine that the first request is authorized; andgrant the ability of the second client to determine identifyinginformation of the first data subject during the first time period.

Example 39 includes the subject matter of example 38, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: revoke the ability of the second client todetermine the identifying information of the first data subject duringthe first time period.

Example 40 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: receive a first request from a second client forone or more of the data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier during the first timeperiod; determine that the first request is authorized; and grant theability of the second client to determine the requested one or more ofthe data attributes associated with the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier during the first time period.

Example 41 includes the subject matter of example 40, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: revoke the ability of the second client todetermine the requested one or more of the data attributes associatedwith the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier duringthe first time period.

Example 42 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not derived fromany of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, unique identifier.

Example 43 includes the subject matter of example 31, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier comprises a primaryidentifier for the first data subject.

Example 44 is a non-transitory computer readable medium comprisingcomputer executable instructions stored thereon to cause one or moreprocessing units to: generate or receive a first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier; associate the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier with a first data subject; associate one ormore data attributes with the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier; generate first time period data, wherein the firsttime period data comprises information defining a first time periodduring which the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier may be used to identify the first data subject and toretrieve the associated one or more data attributes; store, in at leastone of one or more memory elements, the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier, the one or more data attributes, and thefirst time period data; and send the one or more data attributes to afirst client.

Example 45 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein theinstructions to generate a first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier are executed based on at least one of the following: time,purpose, and location.

Example 46 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:terminate the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier'sability to retrieve the associated one or more data attributes.

Example 47 includes the subject matter of example 46, wherein theinstructions to terminate the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier's ability to retrieve the associated one or more dataattributes are executed based on at least one of the following: time,purpose, and location.

Example 48 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein at leastone of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier relates to an action,activity, process, purpose, identity, or trait of the first datasubject.

Example 49 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifierwith a second data subject during a second time period.

Example 50 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to:associate the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifierwith a second data subject during the first time period.

Example 51 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receivea first request from a second client for identifying information of thefirst data subject associated with the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier during the first time period; determinethat the first request is authorized; and grant the ability of thesecond client to determine the identifying information of the first datasubject during the first time period.

Example 52 includes the subject matter of example 51, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: revokethe ability of the second client to determine the identifyinginformation of the first data subject during the first time period.

Example 53 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: receivea first request from a second client for one or more of the dataattributes associated with the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier during the first time period; determine that the firstrequest is authorized; and grant the ability of the second client todetermine the requested one or more of the data attributes associatedwith the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier duringthe first time period.

Example 54 includes the subject matter of example 53, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: revokethe ability of the second client to determine the requested one or moreof the data attributes associated with the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier during the first time period.

Example 55 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not derived fromany of the one or more data attributes associated with the firsttemporally unique identifier.

Example 56 includes the subject matter of example 44, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier comprises a primaryidentifier for the first data subject.

Example 57 is a device, comprising: a communication interface forsending data; one or more memory elements having, stored therein,computer program code; and one or more processing units operativelycoupled to the one or more memory elements and configured to executeinstructions in the computer program code that cause the one or moreprocessing units to: request a first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier from a first privacy server; associate the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier with a first datasubject; associate one or more data attributes with the firstdynamically-changing temporally unique identifier; generate first timeperiod data, wherein the first time period data comprises informationdefining a first time period during which the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier may be used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated one or moredata attributes; store, in at least one of the one or more memoryelements, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier,the one or more data attributes, and the first time period data; andsend, in response to a determination that a first condition has beenmet, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, thefirst time period data, and the one or more data attributes to the firstprivacy server.

Example 58 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein thedetermination that the first condition has been met comprises adetermination of at least one of the following: that a predeterminedamount of time has passed; that a flexible amount of time has passed;that a purpose for the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier has expired; or that a location of the first data subject haschanged.

Example 59 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: modify one or more of the data attributesassociated with the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier.

Example 60 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: track the use of the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier.

Example 61 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: revoke the ability of the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier to retrieve theassociated one or more data attributes.

Example 62 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein the deviceresides on or is the same computing device as the privacy server.

Example 63 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: send, in response to a change in the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, or the one or more data attributes, at least one of: thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, and the one or more data attributes to one or more clientdevices that have registered with the first privacy server to besynchronized with the device.

Example 64 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, and the one or more data attributes are sent to the firstprivacy server in the form of an HTTP cookie.

Example 65 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not derived fromany of the one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier.

Example 66 includes the subject matter of example 57, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier comprises a primaryidentifier for the first data subject.

Example 67 is a non-transitory computer readable medium comprisingcomputer executable instructions stored thereon to cause one or moreprocessing units to: request a first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier from a first privacy server; associate the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier with a first datasubject; associate one or more data attributes with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier; generate first timeperiod data, wherein the first time period data comprises informationdefining a first time period during which the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier may be used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated one or moredata attributes; store, in at least one of one or more memory elementsof the first client device, the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier, the one or more data attributes, and the first timeperiod data; and send, in response to a determination that a firstcondition has been met, the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier, the first time period data, and the one or more dataattributes to the first privacy server.

Example 68 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein thedetermination that the first condition has been met comprises adetermination of at least one of the following: that a predeterminedamount of time has passed; that a flexible amount of time has passed;that a purpose for the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier has expired; or that a location of the first data subject haschanged.

Example 69 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: modifyone or more of the data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier.

Example 70 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: trackthe use of the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier.

Example 71 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: revokethe ability of the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier to retrieve the associated one or more data attributes.

Example 72 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein the firstclient device resides on or is the same computing device as the privacyserver.

Example 73 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein theinstructions further cause the one or more processing units to: send, inresponse to a change in the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier, the first time period data, or the one or more dataattributes, at least one of: the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier, the first time period data, and the one or more dataattributes to one or more client devices that have registered with thefirst privacy server to be synchronized with the first client device.

Example 74 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, and the one or more data attributes are sent to the firstprivacy server in the form of an HTTP cookie.

Example 75 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is notmathematically-derived from any of the one or more data attributesassociated with the first temporally unique identifier.

Example 76 includes the subject matter of example 67, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier comprises a primaryidentifier for the first data subject.

Example 77 is a device, comprising: a communication interface forsending data; one or more memory elements having, stored therein,computer program code; and one or more processing units operativelycoupled to the one or more memory elements and configured to executeinstructions in the computer program code that cause the one or moreprocessing units to: obtain a first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier from a first privacy server, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is associated at thefirst privacy server, during a first time period, with a first datasubject; associate one or more data attributes with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier; generate first timeperiod data, wherein the first time period data comprises informationdefining a first time period during which the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier may be used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated one or moredata attributes; store, in at least one of the one or more memoryelements, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier,the one or more data attributes, and the first time period data; send,the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the firsttime period data, and the one or more data attributes to the firstprivacy server; and receive a second dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier from the first privacy server, wherein the seconddynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is associated at thefirst privacy server, during a second time period, with the first datasubject and the one or more data attributes.

Example 78 includes the subject matter of example 77, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code that cause the one or moreprocessing units to receive the second dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier from the first privacy server are executed in responseto a determination that a first condition has been met.

Example 79 includes the subject matter of example 78, wherein thedetermination that the first condition has been met comprises adetermination of at least one of the following: that a predeterminedamount of time has passed; that a flexible amount of time has passed;that a purpose for the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier has expired; or that a location of the first data subject haschanged.

Example 80 includes the subject matter of example 77, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: modify one or more of the data attributesassociated with the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier.

Example 81 includes the subject matter of example 77, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: track the use of the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier.

Example 82 includes the subject matter of example 77, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: revoke the ability of the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier to retrieve theassociated one or more data attributes.

Example 83 includes the subject matter of example 77, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: request, from the first privacy server,confirmation as to whether identifying information of the first datasubject or the one or more data attributes may be revealed to a firstrequesting party; and in response to receiving confirmation from thefirst privacy server that the identifying information of the first datasubject or the one or more data attributes may be revealed to the firstrequesting party, send the identifying information of the first datasubject or the one or more data attributes to the first requestingparty.

Example 84 includes the subject matter of example 83, wherein therequested confirmation further comprises a requested confirmation as towhether the identifying information of the first data subject or the oneor more data attributes may be revealed to a first requesting party fora particular action, activity, process or trait.

Example 85 includes the subject matter of example 83, wherein therequested confirmation further comprises a requested confirmation as towhether the identifying information of the first data subject or the oneor more data attributes.

Example 86 includes the subject matter of example 84, wherein therequested confirmation further comprises a requested confirmation as towhether the identifying information of the first data subject or the oneor more data attributes may be revealed to a first requesting party fora particular time period or location.

While the methods disclosed herein have been described and shown withreference to particular operations performed in a particular order, itwill be understood that these operations may be combined, sub-divided,or re-ordered to form equivalent methods without departing from theteachings of the present invention. Accordingly, unless specificallyindicated herein, the order and grouping of the operations is not alimitation of the present invention. For instance as a non-limitingexample, in alternative embodiments, portions of operations describedherein may be re-arranged and performed in different order than asdescribed herein.

It should be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to“one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “one example” or “an example”means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment may be included, if desired, in atleast one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, it should beappreciated that two or more references to “an embodiment” or “oneembodiment” or “an alternative embodiment” or “one example” or “anexample” in various portions of this specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particularfeatures, structures or characteristics may be combined as desired inone or more embodiments of the invention.

It should be appreciated that in the foregoing description of exemplaryembodiments of the invention, various features of the invention aresometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, ordescription thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure andaiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventiveaspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed inventions require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, inventiveaspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosedembodiment, and each embodiment described herein may contain more thanone inventive feature.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various other changes in the form and details may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising: a communicationinterface for sending data; one or more memory elements having, storedtherein, computer program code; and one or more processing unitsoperatively coupled to the one or more memory elements and configured toexecute instructions in the computer program code that cause the one ormore processing units to: request a first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier and a second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier from a first privacy server; associate thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier with a firstdata subject and a first one or more data attributes of the first datasubject; associate the second dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier with the first data subject and a second one or more dataattributes of the first data subject; generate first time period data,wherein the first time period data comprises information defining afirst time period during which the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier is used to identify the first data subjectand retrieve the associated first one or more data attributes; generatesecond time period data, wherein the second time period data comprisesinformation defining a second time period during which the seconddynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is used to identifythe first data subject and retrieve the associated second one or moredata attributes; wherein the first time period is different from thesecond time period; wherein the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier is different from the second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier; wherein the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier is not used to identify the first datasubject and retrieve the associated first one or more data attributesduring the second time period, and wherein the seconddynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated second oneor more data attributes during the first time period, thereby providinganonymity of the first data subject; store, in at least one of the oneor more memory elements, the first and second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifiers, the first and second one or more dataattributes, and the first and second time period data; send, in responseto a determination that a first condition has been met, the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, and the first one or more data attributes to the firstprivacy server; and send, in response to a determination that a secondcondition has been met, the second dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier, the second time period data, and the second one ormore data attributes to the first privacy server.
 2. The device of claim1, wherein the determination that the first condition has been metcomprises a determination of at least one of the following: that apredetermined amount of time has passed; that a flexible amount of timehas passed; that a purpose for the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier has expired; or that a location of thefirst data subject has changed.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: modify one or more of the first one or more dataattributes associated with the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions inthe computer program code further cause the one or more processing unitsto: track the use of the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions in thecomputer program code further cause the one or more processing units to:revoke the ability of the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier to retrieve the associated first one or more data attributes.6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device resides on or is the samecomputing device as the privacy server.
 7. The device of claim 1,wherein the instructions in the computer program code further cause theone or more processing units to: send, in response to a change in thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, or the first one or more data attributes, at least one of:the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the firsttime period data, and the first one or more data attributes to one ormore client devices that have registered with the first privacy serverto be synchronized with the device.
 8. The device of claim 1, whereinthe first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the firsttime period data, and the first one or more data attributes are sent tothe first privacy server in the form of an Hypertext Transfer Protocol(HTTP) cookie.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not derived fromany of the first one or more data attributes associated with the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier.
 10. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier comprises a primary identifier for the first data subject.11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computerexecutable instructions stored thereon to cause one or more processingunits to: request a first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier and a second dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier from a first privacy server; associate the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier with a first datasubject and a first one or more data attributes of the first datasubject; associate the second dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier with the first data subject and a second one or more dataattributes of the first data subject; generate first time period data,wherein the first time period data comprises information defining afirst time period during which the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier is used to identify the first data subjectand retrieve the associated first one or more data attributes; generatesecond time period data, wherein the second time period data comprisesinformation defining a second time period during which the seconddynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is used to identifythe first data subject and retrieve the associated second one or moredata attributes, wherein the first time period is different from thesecond time period, wherein the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier is different from the second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier, wherein the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier is not used to identify the first datasubject and retrieve the associated first one or more data attributesduring the second time period, and wherein the seconddynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated second oneor more data attributes during the first time period, thereby providinganonymity of the first data subject; store, in at least one or morememory elements of a first client device, the first and seconddynamically-changing, temporally unique identifiers, the first andsecond one or more data attributes, and the first and second time perioddata; send, in response to a determination that a first condition hasbeen met, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier,the first time period data, and the first one or more data attributes tothe first privacy server; and send, in response to a determination thata second condition has been met, the second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier, the second time period data, and thesecond one or more data attributes to the first privacy server.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein thedetermination that the first condition has been met comprises adetermination of at least one of the following: that a predeterminedamount of time has passed; that a flexible amount of time has passed;that a purpose for the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier has expired; or that a location of the first data subject haschanged.
 13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11,wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processing unitsto: modify one or more of the first one or more data attributesassociated with the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier.
 14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11,wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processing unitsto: track the use of the first dynamically-changing, temporally uniqueidentifier.
 15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11,wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processing unitsto: revoke the ability of the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier to retrieve the associated first one or more dataattributes.
 16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11,wherein the first client device resides on or is the same computingdevice as the privacy server.
 17. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one ormore processing units to: send, in response to a change in the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, or the first one or more data attributes, at least one of:the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the firsttime period data, and the first one or more data attributes to one ormore client devices that have registered with the first privacy serverto be synchronized with the first client device.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, the first timeperiod data, and the first one or more data attributes are sent to thefirst privacy server in the form of an Hypertext Transfer Protocol(HTTP) cookie.
 19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim11, wherein the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifieris not derived from any of the first one or more data attributesassociated with the first temporally unique identifier.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier comprises a primaryidentifier for the first data subject.
 21. A device, comprising: acommunication interface for sending data; one or more memory elementshaving, stored therein, computer program code; and one or moreprocessing units operatively coupled to the one or more memory elementsand configured to execute instructions in the computer program code thatcause the one or more processing units to: obtain a firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier from a first privacyserver, during a first time period, with a first data subject; associatea first one or more data attributes of the first data subject with thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier; generate firsttime period data, wherein the first time period data comprisesinformation defining a first time period during which the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is used to identifythe first data subject and retrieve the associated first one or moredata attributes; store in at least one of the one or more memoryelements, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier,the first one or more data attributes, and the first time period data;send, the first dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, thefirst time period data, and the first one or more data attributes to thefirst privacy server; and receive a second dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier from the first privacy server, wherein thesecond dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is associatedat the first privacy server, during a second time period, with the firstdata subject and a second one or more data attributes, wherein the firsttime period is different from the second time period, wherein the firstdynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is different from thesecond dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier, wherein thefirst dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated first one ormore data attributes during the second time period, and wherein thesecond dynamically-changing, temporally unique identifier is not used toidentify the first data subject and retrieve the associated second oneor more data attributes during the first time period, thereby providinganonymity of the first data subject.
 22. The device of claim 21, whereinthe instructions in the computer program code that cause the one or moreprocessing units to receive the second dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier from the first privacy server are executed in responseto a determination that a first condition has been met.
 23. The deviceof claim 22, wherein the determination that the first condition has beenmet comprises a determination of at least one of the following: that apredetermined amount of time has passed; that a flexible amount of timehas passed; that a purpose for the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier has expired; or that a location of thefirst data subject has changed.
 24. The device of claim 21, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: modify one or more of the first one or more dataattributes associated with the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier.
 25. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructionsin the computer program code further cause the one or more processingunits to: track the use of the first dynamically-changing, temporallyunique identifier.
 26. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructionsin the computer program code further cause the one or more processingunits to: revoke the ability of the first dynamically-changing,temporally unique identifier to retrieve the associated first one ormore data attributes.
 27. The device of claim 21, wherein theinstructions in the computer program code further cause the one or moreprocessing units to: request, from the first privacy server,confirmation as to whether identifying information of the first datasubject or the one or more data attributes is revealed to a firstrequesting party; and in response to receiving confirmation from thefirst privacy server that the identifying information of the first datasubject or the one or more data attributes is revealed to the firstrequesting party, send the identifying information of the first datasubject or the one or more data attributes to the first requestingparty.
 28. The device of claim 27, wherein the requested confirmationfurther comprises a requested confirmation as to whether the identifyinginformation of the first data subject or the first one or more dataattributes is revealed to a first requesting party for a particularaction, activity, process or trait.
 29. The device of claim 27, whereinthe requested confirmation further comprises a requested confirmation asto whether the identifying information of the first data subject or thefirst one or more data attributes is revealed to a first requestingparty for a particular time period or location.
 30. The device of claim28, wherein the requested confirmation further comprises a requestedconfirmation as to whether the identifying information of the first datasubject or the first one or more data attributes is revealed to a firstrequesting party for a particular time period or location.